Dead Boy Productions

What is the name of your band?

Eddie Clendening & The Blue Ribbon Boys 
 
Where are you located?

Denver, Colorado 

What kind of music are you?

50's Rock & Roll and Rockabilly  
 
Who are the members?

Right now we are operating as a 4 piece with Jeff Yeary on rhythm/2nd lead guitar and also doing some vocal numbers, Mark Millard on the drums, Chris Chew on the upright bass, and myself on the lead guitar and vocals. 
 
Who writes the music?

We have a pretty even mix of covers and originals, the work of writing and arranging is typically left to me though all the members help in one way or another, I’d like to think everyone has an equal say in the creative process, though I do reserve the right to veto anything I don't care for. 
 
Do you have any albums out?

We have a 45 EP released, as well as one full length album out and one in the can ready for release very soon, we've also been part of several comps, a bowling arcade game, and a few indie film soundtracks. The first 45 was with the original line up, the first and second releases featured my regular band as well as backing from some of my touring friends, a lot of the time when guys tour through I end up putting them up at my place or whatever, and through that I made some great friends and had the chance to play with some amazing musicians, I have tried to include those guys on my records not only cause, well, why not have the best players possible, but also to try to get that feel of drunken late nights picking guitar in the living room. That has worked out well in my opinion. 
 
How long does to take you to write an album?

I feel that as a songwriter I am about as lazy and awful as they come, I have a hard time focusing enough to get thru a whole tune; it usually helps to step away for a while and sometimes have somebody else look at it. So, it all depends, I have sat down and finished a song in 5 minutes (i.e. I'm Gone from the first album) and I have a couple of others that I put away and dug out a year or two later. You never know. 
 
Where do you record?

I have recorded at a few different studios, the record label I am on Wormtone has a studio that I use for most recordings but I have also recorded at Ft. Horton in Austin, TX, Lightning's Recording Service in Berlin, Germany, Eccofonic Studio in Burbank, CA, Wild Recording in Los Angeles, Space Mobil studio in Paris, France, sometimes when you're on the road it’s fun to pop into friends studios and fool around, sometimes great things come out of it. Sometimes they don't, but I like experimentation, so I'm always up to have a go. 
 
Who mixes your music?

The head of Wormtone Records, Kurt Ohlen, and I usually do the mixing with a guy here in Strausburg, Colorado named Kevin Yost, however Deke Dickerson has done a few, Billy Horton in TX has done some and Axel Praefke in Berlin has done some. 
 
Are you signed?

I don't think I ever signed a paper, but me and the folks at Wormtone have a pretty solid agreement that I feel good about, I have done recordings here and there for other independent labels. 
 
When did you get signed?

I suppose you could say when Kurt asked us if we’d like to come over to the studio and see what we could do, that resulted in the first EP. 
 
How long have you been playing together?

Well its funny as I write this it is technically the morning of March 20th, exactly 10 years of playing (shit that makes me sound and feel old, but I was just about 14/15 when we started up I guess that's not too bad) as the Blue Ribbon Boys, though those early years didn't involve a lot of touring and traveling. We’ll be playing and celebrating the 10 years this Saturday with a great friend of mine, and old roommate Mike Molnar, he will be up here in Denver from Austin, he and I wrote most of the songs for the first record together and he played guitar with the group for a good number of years. 
 
Are all the original members still in the band?

No the band has had a few changes here and there just as peoples availability changes with life, kids, families etc... I've been lucky enough to always work with great people, as well as to stay busy with other projects and working as a guitarist or vocalist for other groups. 
 
Have you ever changed the band name?

No we've stuck with the name since the beginning. 
 
Where have you played?

I've been lucky enough to travel and play all over the U.S. and a good portion of Europe, and been able to take part in a lot of great festivals as well, but I’m still waiting for Japan, Australia and Scandinavia, so if you're out there and booking, shoot me a message. 
 
Who have you shared the stage with?

I've backed up a lot of my old heroes, Dale Hawkins, Jimmy Lee Fautheree, Eddie Bond, Hayden Thompson, Pat Cupp, I've sang with James Burton and DJ Fontana and Scotty Moore, I was a member of Deke Dickersons Eccofonics, I was the vocalist for the Go Cat Go reunion, Nick Curran, Ike And The Capers, The Hi-Q's... that is just a few names of people I have played with, there's way too many to list, the coolest part is getting to count some of these guys as friends. 
 
It’s funny because after I scheduled an interview with you, I noticed you were my friends profile song. How does that make you feel that people in Idaho like you?

Well to be honest, Idaho is one of a few states I haven't played in, so it’s great to know I have at least one fan up thatta way, I guess I have to book something out there now, before we lose'em... 
 

Any advice for aspiring musicians

Yeah, just do it now, while you're young, don't compromise, surround yourself with people who share your goals and work ethic, and don't ever think you're good, you suck, and there's somebody younger, better looking, hungrier, and more talented and determined coming right behind you to make you feel bad about yourself and the time you've wasted. Hahahah that sounds dark, but I just mean that, at least for me, that motivation has been good to keep me always working hard at improving, and never spending too much time stopping and enjoying the scenery. When you stop wanting to improve you're just wasting everyone's time, including your own.