Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers
A third-generation Arizonan, songwriter Roger Clyne regularly bares his soul in rock ‘n’ roll originals that are tinted with Southwest influences: a verse in Spanish here, a line about a desert landscape there. Clyne and his Peacemaker band mates have blazed a pioneering new trial with their latest undertaking – the ambitious Turbo Ocho, set to be released March 16, 2008. The much-anticipated CD/DVD chronicle of January 2008’s eight-day writing and recording experiment is the first-ever RCPM VivaCast (to use a phrase self-coined by Clyne), a web cast that brought daily audio and video updates to thousands of homes during the writing and recording process, culminating with a sold out concert in Cholla Bay, Mexico. With the groundbreaking release, Clyne and the Peacemakers have once again shattered old definitions of what is expected of a rock and roll band and forged their own path directly to what matters most, the fans.
Though neither of his parents is particularly arts-focused – his mother is a schoolteacher, his father a cowboy and rancher – Clyne and his brother, now a sculptor, are deeply creative. Early on, Clyne had a musical bent and by the age of five was writing songs and singing them a capella into his father’s tape recorder. His parents divorced when he was in grade school and Clyne commuted between Tempe and his father’s ranch southeast of Tucson, seamlessly changing from a city-smart skateboarding punk to a horse-crazed desert rat with each visit.
Clyne was an excellent student who participated in school musicals and choir but nonetheless enjoyed tweaking the power structures of his high school community and rebelling accordingly. He kept a journal which served as his “psychic dumpster,” listened to David Bowie and Camper Van Beethoven, and prided himself on his “outsider” status, especially when he transferred from a Catholic program to a public high school in 11th grade. A road trip with buddies to Los Angeles during his junior year inspired him to start a band that played Ramones and Aerosmith covers and quickly became a popular act in the Tempe all-ages clubs.
Music did not truly become central to Clyne’s life until he entered Arizona State University. In yet another contrast, Clyne pursued his psychology and anthropology degrees while playing in a string of college rock bands until he put together The Mortals during his sophomore year. Playing covers of R.E.M., The Clash and The Violent Femmes, Clyne began weaving his originals into the band’s set list. Soon, requests for his original songs outnumbered those for covers and The Mortals started opening for top-tier local bands including Dead Hot Workshop and the Gin Blossoms, as well as the nationally known Goo Goo Dolls. In his final college years, Clyne and several others – including a reggae band – moved into a commune-style apartment that became a center for philosophical, music-charged gatherings.
At around the same time, The Mortals (with a few lineup changes) became The Refreshments. Fueled by a multi-month hiatus at his father’s serene ranch, Clyne penned many of the songs that would become the basis for The Refreshments’ first album Wheelie, released in 1994. The band played South by Southwest in 1995 and was quickly signed by Mercury Records. P.H. Naffah was auditioned to replace the band’s departing drummer and almost immediately, the group began writing and recording the songs for Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy. Released in 1996, the disc was Radio & Record’s ninth Best-Selling Debut Album of the Year, went to #1 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart and spawned two popular radio hits, “Banditos” and “Down Together.” Mass-market adulation seemed imminent as The Refreshments performed on national late-night shows and Clyne wrote and performed the King of the Hill theme song with the band. Though the Refreshments released The Bottle & Fresh Horses in 1997, their efforts went unsupported by a changed label management and the band eventually disbanded in 1998.
Seeking a respite and inspiration, Clyne and Naffah twice scaled California’s 14,000-foot Mt. Shasta and took a week-long sojourn through their favorite Arizona desert. They then returned to the Phoenix club circuit and began playing happy hours as a duo. They officially became Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers in late 1998 and the current lineup includes Clyne, Naffah, lead guitarist Steve Larson and bassist Nick Scropos.
Clyne is as passionate and pure about his music as he is about his dedication to his wife and three children. In both worlds, he has matured and become more sure and committed to his purpose. The band’s web site tracks hundreds of postings by fans that laud Clyne as one of the greatest, albeit under-recognized, songwriters of his generation. Critics have compared Clyne’s songwriting to the greats of Rock and Americana music, including Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Steve Earle. The proverbial roller coaster continues to run, but with the momentum of praise from the media and fans, Clyne may soon have to get accustomed to a lot more attention.
