INTERVIEW Many Reasons to Love Boston
A Brief Discussion With Clare Manchon
Clare Manchon, lead vocalist and songwriter of Clare and The Reasons, answered a few of The Tech’s questions after supporting Nouvelle Vague at Somerville Theatre on Sunday.
The Tech: You come from a very musical family. Was there a lot of support from your family to go into music or did they encourage you to do other things?
Clare Manchon: Ironically, there was the most support from my mother, Sheila, who is a school teacher. She’s just generally one of those magical always supportive moms.
TT: What have you learned from touring with Nouvelle Vague and watching them perform?
CM: They are lovely people and great performers indeed, they know how to get the audience involved. Our music is very different though, but I enjoy watching them.
TT: Do you have any plans to collaborate with either of the composers/arrangers in Nouvelle Vague?
CM: Not as of now.
TT: You went to school in Boston. Where did you go, and what attachment do you have to the city?
CM: Yes, Berklee College of Music. When I was at Berklee it was like living in a music bubble, not really living in Boston. When you go to Berklee you eat, sleep, breathe music, or at least you ought to.
TT: Are you particularly excited to play at Somerville Theatre, a venue so “close to home” for you?
CM: We loved playing there because it sounds so good. It’s very rare to fine beautiful old theatres that are so well maintained and filled with a professional reliable crew, it’s almost like being in Europe!
TT: What was music and performing like during your college days?
CM: It was experimentation. It was finding what works and what doesn’t. The best thing about the college days was all the extreme talent all around me, I wanted to be a sponge; too bad I’m just a human.