Clogs

by Margaret Reges
Consisting of four classically trained musicians (Bryce Dessner, Padma Newsome, Rachael Elliott, and Thomas Kozumplik), the Clogs are an avant-garde chamber ensemble whose works encompass a wide range of styles, including (but not limited to) jazz, post-rock, and chamber music. They met in the late '90s at the Yale School of Music, where Newsome, originally hailing from the University of Adelaide in Australia, was studying on a Fulbright scholarship. Drawing from influences as disparate as romanticism, minimalism, indie rock, and traditional Indian folk music, the Clogs released their first album, Thom's Night Out, in 2001 and followed it up with Lullaby for Sue in 2003. They were awarded a Special Commissioning Award from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America that year, giving the group a chance to tour North America in 2004. Their third effort, Stick Music, was released soon after that, and they toured North America and the U.K. with the Books in 2005. Their fourth release, The Lantern, was released in 2006.