August 11, 2020

Meet Clay Rose of Gasoline Lollipops in All over

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay Rose.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Clay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
We started playing gigs at Lion’s Lair, Appaloosa Grill, Larimer Lounge, Skylark, etc. I drank a lot and played for beer money for close to a decade. Then I got sober and the band started to move. Over the next four years we played Red Rocks, sold out the Bluebird, the Fox, the Aggie, and headlined the Gothic. We played in Belize, Alaska, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It has all been DIY. No label, no management company, just the love and dedication of good friends and the hard work of the band.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Well, almost drinking myself to death was a little hiccup. We also had a bassist deported, Another one fired, another one threw his amp in a dumpster after a gig and quit. The drummer dug it out of the dumpster and pawned it for drug money. After I got sober we had a bit of band drama, which ultimately led to a complete restructuring and a subsequent new sound for the band. No, it has not been a smooth road.

Gasoline Lollipops – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a rock n’ roll band. We play rock n’ roll, and we do it well. I’m proud of our endurance, our evolution, and our love. Our music wears its heart on its sleeve. We don’t apologize for being human, for being broken, or for being optimistic. I think that’s what inspires others to connect so deeply with us and each other at our shows. Our community is family. We come together to exorcise the demons through dance and music. Of course, the demons always come back. So do we.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is being fully present in whatever moment or activity I find myself in. If that’s being with my children, it means listening intently to what they’re saying and recognizing their full autonomy. If it’s playing music with the band, it means listening intently to my band mates, recognizing the pocket and shaping my playing and singing to fit in it. It means seeing and feeling the audience, letting them move the music as much as the music moves them. It means relaxing and getting out of the way. Letting my voice come as easily as breathing. When I succeed on that level I know it. I know I have just lived a successful moment. That’s a rarity. Some people exist for a whole lifetime and never successfully live.

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