Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland. Since its formation in 1991, the band’s lineup has included Tim Sult on lead guitar, Dan Maines on bass, Jean-Paul Gaster on drums, and Neil Fallon on vocals, rhythm guitar, and keyboards. To date, Clutch has released thirteen studio albums as well as several rarities and live albums. Since 2008, the band has been signed to its own record label, Weathermaker Music. The band has often been described as one of the pioneering acts associated with stoner rock.

Clutch was formed in 1991 by Dan Maines, Jean-Paul Gaster, Tim Sult, and original vocalist Roger Smalls in Germantown, Maryland. Prior to adopting the name Clutch, the group performed under the names Glut Trip and Moral Minority. Smalls left the band and was replaced by Neil Fallon, who had attended Seneca Valley High School with the other members. The band name was reportedly chosen due to an interest in cars and a preference for short, one-syllable band names, similar to groups such as Prong.

The band gained early attention through extensive touring. Their 12-inch single "Passive Restraints", released on Earache Records, was their first commercial release and helped attract interest from other labels. Their debut album, "Transnational Speedway League", was released in 1993 through EastWest Records. In 1995, they released a self-titled album that brought them broader exposure. Shortly after its release, however, their A&R representative was dismissed from EastWest, and the band was subsequently dropped by the label. Clutch then signed with Columbia Records and released "The Elephant Riders" in 1998, followed in 1999 by the independently released album "Jam Room".

In 2001, Clutch released "Pure Rock Fury" on Atlantic Records. The title track was initially issued as a single, but the track "Careful with That Mic" was later promoted instead and became a minor radio success. Additional tracks such as "Immortal" and "Open Up the Border" also received airplay. In 2003, the band released the live album "Live at the Googolplex" and the compilation "Slow Hole to China".

In 2004, Clutch released "Blast Tyrant" on DRT Entertainment. The single "The Mob Goes Wild" received significant airplay, and its music video, directed by Bam Margera, featured several of his collaborators and was filmed in Pennsylvania. In 2005, the compilation "Pitchfork & Lost Needles" was released, combining early recordings and unreleased material. That same year, Mick Schauer joined the band on keyboards, contributing to the albums "Robot Hive/Exodus" (2005) and "From Beale Street to Oblivion" (2007). The latter was produced by Joe Barresi, who has also worked with artists including Kyuss, Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age, and Tool.

The band released their first live DVD, "Full Fathom Five", in 2008. A remastered version of "Slow Hole to China: Rare and Unreleased" followed in 2009. Their ninth studio album, "Strange Cousins from the West", was also released in 2009. In 2010, they released the live DVD "Clutch Live at the 9:30", which documented a 2009 performance in Washington, D.C., during which the band performed their 1995 self-titled album in full. In 2011, "Blast Tyrant" was reissued with a bonus disc titled "Basket of Eggs", containing previously unreleased tracks and acoustic versions of earlier songs.

In 2012, Clutch released the single "Pigtown Blues" along with an acoustic version of "Motherless Child". Their tenth studio album, "Earth Rocker", was released in 2013 and reached number 15 on the Billboard 200, their highest chart position at the time. The album also achieved strong digital chart performance and received critical recognition, including Album of the Year from Metal Hammer.

In 2015, Clutch recorded their eleventh studio album in Texas, influenced in part by their collaboration with producer Machine, who had previously worked with the band. The album, "Psychic Warfare", was released later that year. Neil Fallon stated that some lyrical themes were influenced by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster described the material as more stylistically diverse than previous releases.

In 2018, the band released their twelfth studio album, "Book of Bad Decisions", recorded in Nashville with producer Vance Powell. Former keyboardist Mick Schauer died in 2019 at the age of 46.

In 2020 and 2021, members of the band discussed progress on new material, noting that writing and recording were affected by touring schedules and the COVID-19 pandemic. The thirteenth studio album, "Sunrise on Slaughter Beach", was released in 2022.

In 2021, Clutch began the Clutch Collector's Series, a set of reissues in which each band member selected an album for reinterpretation and reissue. The series included new versions of "Blast Tyrant", curated by Jean-Paul Gaster, and "Robot Hive/Exodus", curated by Dan Maines.

By 2024, the band had begun working on material for a fourteenth studio album. They also reissued the compilation "Slow Hole to China" in August 2024. In subsequent interviews, Neil Fallon stated that the band was continuing to write and refine material without a fixed release schedule, citing extensive touring and the desire to ensure a fully developed final product. In 2025, he confirmed that pre-production work on the next album had begun with producer Gene Freeman. As of late 2025, the band indicated that additional writing and recording sessions were planned, with release timing still undetermined.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_(band)

Studio albums Transnational Speedway League (1993) Clutch (1995) The Elephant Riders (1998) Jam Room (1999) Pure Rock Fury (2001) Blast Tyrant (2004) Robot Hive/Exodus (2005) From Beale Street to Oblivion (2007) Strange Cousins from the West (2009) Earth Rocker (2013) Psychic Warfare (2015) Book of Bad Decisions (2018) Sunrise on Slaughter Beach (2022)