We love this band, and this interview is a long time coming, so please enjoy this creative Canadian rock duo speaking to The Aquarian about the impactful creation of their new record.
Cleopatrick, a rock duo out of a small town east of Toronto called Cobourg, are turning the page on their previous material. Their raucous alternative rock edge found on 2021’s Bummer has slowed down on this year’s effort, Fake Moon, out March 14. This new album is more of a mix of Radiohead and other art rock influences. That was their goal, though, for when they went in to record Fake Moon, they noticed that they were easing up on the harder sounds, but one thing they have always done is trust themselves in the recording process. Alas, the release of Fake Moon from this Cobourg duo. “There are a couple of bands from there, but no one that has made it out and existed on the world stage,” Luke Gruntz tells us in an exclusive interview.
Comprised of Gruntz and Ian Fraser, the two members of Cleopatrick have known each other since they were four years old, and it wasn’t too long after that music came into the picture. “We both started playing guitar when we were eight,” Fraser says. That friendship stood the test of time – through recording sessions, touring, and building upon their musical styles and influences.
The duo, in the wake of the success of the Japandroids and Death from Above and other great Canadian rock duos, have created something fresh and unique with Fake Moon. So far, it has left some fans divided, but there is more to hear and more to understand. “For us, it didn’t feel like experimentation,” says Gruntz. “Rather, it felt like how we really know how to do, which is to make the music that’s coming to us in a given moment. That’s how we found success and how we built our audience: do what felt right or natural to us. It was contrary when we were going to make this record: we felt we wanted to create the box of what’s come before.”
This sentiment was zeroed in on by both musicians, and they were able to get more intricate with the music they made because of it. “In actuality, what was coming from us when we were creating things, was something more dynamic and nuanced. Rather than ignore that, we always continue to do what we always done and trust our compasses and make the music that has always come,” Gruntz continues. “It doesn’t feel like we stepped out of our comfort zones or have done anything crazy. We are just being ourselves.”
The album title may draw in fans in who have never listened to the duo before. “I feel like for people who don’t know our band, the title of the album draws them in with a curiosity. The fake moon acts like a symbol throughout the record. The album is about truth and information, and the fake moon is a symbol of that. It’s something everyone sees, but everyone has different perceptions of what that is,” says Gruntz.
Things were creative in the recording studio with this concept in mind, especially stylistically. “Over the last few years, we’ve been listening to the widest range of music that we’ve ever indulged in. The influences are vast.”
Stepping into the studio with Philip Weinrobe, Adrianne Lenker’s producer, was a no-brainer then. The duo is a big fan of her 2020 Songs LP, and Big Thief, as well.
“Working with Philip Weinrobe was super cool. This is one of the first times we opened up ourselves to a producer role in that capacity. Phil was a very new experience, and he provided a lot of insight and perspective that we both thought that was very valuable. It was very challenging to open a few doors to a different thing. We referred to him as our ‘Rick Rubin.’ He was a very intelligent and cerebral person to speak to. To have gotten so much time to create with him was a super cool experience and impacted us in many multiple positive ways,” Fraser shares.
“One time we recorded a song for our record, and he showed me how to play a guitar with a paintbrush to make a light, feathery sound on acoustic guitar. And I asked him if that’s how Adrienne Lenker recorded guitars, and he said yes. I thought he was the guy, and he made that sound,” says Gruntz.
Fraser also admits that many fans are not aware that Cleopatrick, who are now wholly Toronto based, are originally from Canada at all. “It’s hard to say that this was a Canadian mission; it’s always been more local than that. It’s awesome and a lot of people don’t know that we are even from Canada.”
Moving forward, though, the duo just want to get into the grind of touring again. “I think we just are focused on getting this record out and playing some shows,” says Gruntz. “We’d love to get down in the States and play these new songs. We love playing the States – it’s such a fun and challenging thing. The drives are long and each city each has its unique culture. You really get to see the world when you travel to the States.”
CLEOPATRICK’S NEW ALBUM, FAKE MOON, IS OUT THIS FRIDAY WHEREVER YOU LISTEN MUSIC!
