Lazarus Clamp are an English band of some longevity and interest, who can make a reasonable claim to being one of the minor, undiscovered, rough-cut gems of British independent music - but who probably have only themselves to blame for their low profile. Formed in Leicester in 1994, the band's early intensity and musical ambition, earned them a combination of admiration, sympathy, and disdain on the Midlands scene.
History
The band's debut single Sea Sore Songs was released on Amberley/ Cleverlegs. It was already a historical artifact, both in terms of the band's sound and the post-rock scene that had supported it. The band had other early releases on Bearos Records and Sorted, both midlands based. The band had a good relationship the now-defunct Guildford label, Words and Works Rejected. As the band developed, and the line-up changed and then settled, Lazarus Clamp began to allow other influences to show through - English folk music, American country, and some rather deadpan humour. Subsequent singles and the band's first two LPs provide a better snapshot of Lazarus Clamp's literate, spontaneous, scruffy, and very English, take on their ragbag of influences. These releases are a beguiling, and sometimes frustrating, combination of precisely-executed, off-beat 'alt-pop/unrock', peppered with lo-fi home recordings, and off-the-cuff improvised meanderings. The band's willingness to fall on their faces, and their musical and verbal articulacy when they pull things together, are probably their greatest virtues. In early 2008, they released a double album, Death to Technicians / It ain't what you do it's what it does to you, described by Drowned in Sound as 'wonkily elaborate' and in late 2009, they released the Against entitlement LP. This received positive reviews from sources as diverse as The Sunday Times, and Delusions of Adequacy.
Live
Never prolific in their live outings, Lazarus Clamp are still active. The band now live in different parts of the UK, making live appearances rarer. The band have appeared and collaborated with Bob Tilton, John Sims, Los Planetos Del Agua, MJ Hibbett, Last Harbour, Half Seas Over, Twinkie and The Freed Unit.
