Album Notes

CLIFFORD is the latest musical endeavor by the brothers Bryce & Brad Clifford. The two have been writing, recording, and performing progressively since the mid-90's and are best known for their infectiously melodic songs and honest approach to the craft of songwriting. In their previous band, Pedestrian Status, they explored a varied range of musical styles combing a diversity of influences into a unique and emotionally charged sound. From punk rock to roots rock their introspective songs enlist sophisticated hooks and subtle intricacies to pull the listener in. Even when layering a song with driving guitar melodies, elements of folk and country can still be heard permeating the sound.

As Pedestrian Status the Clifford brothers were a staple on the Toronto music scene for many years, playing every bar in the city and releasing two full length albums. In the spring of 2004 they played a final sold out show in Toronto before moving to Austin, Texas. The Clifford's family roots lied in Texas and their sound had slowly been evolving into the type of country and blues rock that makes its home in the south. On April 26th, 2004 Brad & Bryce boarded a plane to Austin with no more than a suitcase, a guitar, and a few cymbals. A bold undertaking that would pay off in the creation of a great rock record - Signal The Sun.

Soon after arriving in Austin, Bryce found work at an Audio/Recording supply store (Pro-Tape) where he met Thomas van der Brook. Thomas, an up and coming recording engineer, was in the process of starting up his own studio. The Clifford brothers were looking to get started on a new record and began talking to Thomas about recording it. Around the same time they made another new friend, a fellow Canadian named Kim Deschamps. Whether or not you recognize the name you've more than likely heard Kim's playing before. Kim is the former pedal steel player and multi-instrumentalist for two of Canada's largest bands, Cowboy Junkies and Blue Rodeo. He moved to Austin in 2000 after leaving Blue Rodeo and has become one of the cities most renowned pedal steel players. His signature playing can be heard on numerous tracks of Signal The Sun. As production on the record progressed, and new contacts were made, additional performances were made by some of Austin's most talent musicians. Jon Blondel, a highly respected local session musician who has recorded with everyone from Willie Nelson to Sublime, added trombone to a number of tracks. Tony Scalzo from the band Fastball came in one day and laid down some amazing bluesy guitar solo's on "All the Girls" and Thomas played some soulful tenor sax and violin on a couple of tracks. Local singer/songwriter Rachel Lynn added backing vocals to "Last Call In the Northeast" and Brett Humphrey is featured on harmonica on "Woodstock, Ont.".

The final result of a year's worth of recording and mixing sessions is an "album" in every sense of the word. Their is a cohesive quality which runs thoughout theses songs that takes the listener on an emotional voyage. The brothers went to great lengths to select just the right songs from a long list of possible material, including original songs from all different periods of their career and including distinctive interpretations of some well chosen covers. In each song you can hear the influence of artists such as Bob Dylan, The Band, and Van Morrison but also the 80's post-punk of bands like The Replacements and Elvis Costello. Clifford manages to blend all of these influences into a distinctive sound which while refreshingly familiar is uniquely their own.