Clubhouse- 'we just wanted to write something that made us feel good'

By Run That Again

 Clubhouse’s latest single ‘Weekend’ is every kind of wonderful. It reminds us of elements of Tom Misch, SG Lewis and Lauv in its fun, nostalgic and summery energy. It’s just what everyone needs right now. We chatted to Max, Ari, Zak, Mike and Forrest about their music, backgrounds and what brought them all to be friends.

Introduce yourselves!

“Hi, we’re Clubhouse. There are five of us: Max Reichert, Ari Blumer, Zak Blumer, Mike Berthold, and Forrest Weihe. Ari, Zak, and Max all grew up in the Columbus, OH area. Mike grew up in the Cleveland, OH area. Forrest was born in Texas, but spent most of his childhood in Colorado.”

How did you become Clubhouse?

“Ari, Zak, and Max met at a young age, growing up in the same hometown, and quickly became good friends. All three went to the same college (Ohio University), where they met Mike, who was visiting from Ohio State University where he and Forrest were enrolled. Mike introduced Forrest to the rest of the guys, and all five have been writing and performing together ever since.” 

Tell us more about ‘Weekend’.

“With ‘Weekend’, we didn’t want to overthink anything and just wanted to write something that made us feel good. Something you can listen to poolside, driving, whatever it may be, and just vibe to".”

Who are your influences? What did you grow up listening to and do you think that has impacted your sound in any way?

“Our influences are always changing, as a result of our personal tastes at the moment of writing a song. That being said, some of our biggest influences today include The 1975, Tame Impala, LANY, Rufus du Sol, No Rome, and many more.”

Proudest moment so far as a band?

“This has to be performing at Firefly Music Festival, in 2017. It was a surreal experience in general, and everyone was extremely welcoming.”

What are your goals as a band by this time next year?

“By this time next year, some of our goals include having multiple songs with 1M+ streams and releasing our first EP.”

  Best piece of advice any of you has ever received?

  “Just keep working on things—you’ll only keep getting better.” That’s been super evident to us in terms of learning how to self-produce, and everything that goes into it. We’re learning as we go, and loving the process.”

Has anyone ever been negative about your desire to pursue a career in music?

“Of course, you’re always going to have some of those people who try to push you away from your dreams, but we consider ourselves really lucky, and have the constant support of our friends, fans, and family.  The worst things people talk about are those horror stories you hear about bands/artists who didn’t read a contract or consult a lawyer before signing.”

If you could sum up each band member in the style of a ‘Friends’ episode what would that be for each of you? :)

“Max is the one who kicked cancer’s ass, Ari is the one with the dad jokes, Forrest is the tree hugger, Zak is the one who has a tattoo of an everything bagel, Mike is the one who looks like Bruno Mars.”

What's your favourite snack (classic Run That Again question!) and why?

 “Max: baked beans, because they’re a classic American staple.Ari: chips and queso, because cheese makes everything better

Mike: chicken pot pie, because thanksgiving food is the best!

Forrest: smoothies, because I can take them on the go.

Zak: everything bagels, because they’re good any time of the day!”

Dream collaboration?

“John Mayer!”

Stream Weekend here.