KATE CLOVER (US) + THE SPREES | 16.05.24 | Berlin Show @ Kulturhaus Insel

In the organizer's words:

KATE CLOVER & Band (US)

KATE CLOVER is a songwriter and musician from Los Angeles, California. From the local lineage of bands like X, Germs, and The Gun Club, to the glamorous destitution of the downtown streets, Clover is inspired by the city that raised her, exploring the intricacies of self-discovery, self-creation, and self-preservation in the place where dreams are born to die. With the live-wire energy and crackling force of defiant fists raised in the air, Clover's music is the rallying cry of a natural born killer. Clover cuts an electric figure-a next-gen underground hero for the would-be believers.

With Patti Smith and Iggy Pop as her artistic North Stars, Clover mastered three chords and defected to art school, where she learned to play "Chinese Rocks" by Johnny Thunders and wrote her first song. She cut her teeth playing in various projects but was determined to go solo, seeking independence and total control.

In 2019 she parted ways with her former bands and was in search of a new start. In need of self-discovery and an escape from her life in America, she headed to Mexico City to write. A four-day trip turned into four months, as Clover decided to stay and record her album. Upon her return to the US, she assembled a band and quickly carved out a space for herself in the LA scene. Earning a rep for explosive live shows, Clover spent 2019 hitting the road with Death Valley Girls, Crocodiles and King Dude.

After independently releasing her first single that same year, Clover's next offering was an EP titled "Channel Zero" mixed by Grammy award winning producer, Carlos de la Garza (Cherry Glazerr, Bleached, Paramore, Wolf Alice), followed by her debut album "Bleed Your heart Out", released spring of 2022. Clover set out on her first European tour in the fall of 2022 with many sold out dates throughout. Upon her return she was handpicked to open for Social Distortion.

2023 has seen her become a rising star in the punk underground scene and gain a reputation as an explosive live performer. Even catching the attention of The Hives who had her as support for their North American US tour. That same year, Clover also supported Fucked Up and Superchunk on select dates.

2024 has her set to release her sophomore record, "The Apocalypse Dream", due out April 5th. Produced by Jonah Falco (Fucked up, Chubby and the Gang, The Chisel) and co-written by Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles) and mixed by Carlos de la Garza. Followed by a Full North American US tour, European tour as well as a performance at Punk Rock Bowling.

Growing up within the fringe cultures of skating and surfing, Clover has always been attracted to the otherness of west coast counter-culture - the gritty innocence of the saintly barbarians and dissatisfied kids around her. But it was her brother's copy of photographer Glen E. Friedman's book 'Fuck You Heroes', where Clover first saw herself, reflected in the energy and intensity of his punk-rock images. "I didn't know what any of it meant yet," she explains. "I was attracted to the rebellion I felt I shared with the subjects of his work. I connected to the bravery."

Within those photos, Clover's nascent unrest found a cause to cling to. Weekends at the beach turned into weekends going to shows. "I would go home in a cab smiling, covered in sweat, spit, and beer. I found where I belonged." Determined to enter the fraternity of the artist, she submerged herself in the salvation of rock 'n' roll.

www.kateclover.com
www.instagram.com/kate_clover
www.facebook.com/katecloverband

THE SPREES are the rare case of a Berlin online acquaintance that led to more than a one-night stand or a fleeting affair: the four founding members came together in 2022 via their Soundcloud profiles. The musicians from England, Germany, Chile and the USA combine the indie vibe of the early noughties with the spirit of New York punk, funky beats of the seventies and the electric attitude to life of today's Berlin.

The Sprees promise excessive fun without overdoing the destructive rock'n'roll clichés. Guitarists Christopher Reynolds and Phil Farrow share songwriting and vocals in the style of the Beatles and spice them up with the raw bluntness of the Libertines. To their catchy guitar riffs and the rounded soundscape of bassist Robert Stephan and drummer Pablo Monardes, they sing about their inner demons, escaping reality and the seductions and illusions of the digital age, without losing their playful lightness. Since the end of 2023, keyboardist and singer Olivia Popp has brought electronic sounds and a new vocal color to the band.

Not much water had to flow down the Spree for the first minor successes: In their first year, The Sprees could already be seen in established Berlin clubs and played support gigs for international artists. Their first single "Real Overload" was released in April 2023 , and on August 12 they released their EP "Applaud The Jest". They still have a long way to go before their big goal of selling out big clubs and supporting idols like the Pixies - but they are determined to go the distance.

www.instagram.com/the.sprees