Clocks & Clouds formed in 2010, but their unique blend of classical and rock was several years in the making.
Lucas (cello) and Stephanie (violin) Shogren became friends in 2003 while performing concerts together in various chamber ensembles as they pursued music performance degrees at the University of Minnesota. Throughout their relationship, they performed and recorded as a duo for many artists in the Minneapolis area before marrying in 2006. Many artists saw the unique connection they had as performers and string arrangers. Seeing an opportunity to do something special beyond being a hired cellist, Lucas delved deeper into his musical explorations.
Lucas eventually began experimenting with loop pedals and guitar effects to create his compositions. It was during this period that Lucas started exploring more in the studio and eventually other artists started seeking out his services as a producer. Through the new avenue of producing, Lucas met Derek Powers (drums).
In 2009, a mutual friend had asked both Lucas and Derek to help produce a full length record. Throughout this process, Derek and Lucas took notice of their complementary musical sensibilities. Having become friends and musical partners, Derek and Lucas started playing gigs together with the Minneapolis-based band The Great Upset. All of these experiences and explorations merged into one single event that could be described as the beginning of Clocks & Clouds.
Lucas had the idea of performing an instrumental song using a loop pedal, violin, cello, and drums and asked Stephanie and Derek to join him. At the conclusion of this performance, the audience erupted in a way that nobody in the band had ever experienced before. This performance was the catalyst that made the three of them sit down and contemplate starting a musical journey together that they dubbed Clocks & Clouds.
After writing and recording their first E.P., they gained enough material to perform short sets locally. It was during the first few performances that they discovered they had a sound that was highly desirable by audiences both young and old. They created their first music video and started seeing how their music had an international appeal. Their music was being watched by thousands each day from countries around the world. They knew their instrumental music was something unique that stood out in a crowd, and eventually released two E.P.s, a full length album, three singles, two music videos, and several other instrumental experiments. They composed for independent films, commercials, while continuing to produce and engineer many local projects. They saw the power in what they were doing and wanted their music to be about something more meaningful than self-promotion. They wanted to inspire young kids to explore, create, and express themselves through music.
Clocks & Clouds started contacting schools and found ways to play for students and show them the power of music. They created programs in which they arranged orchestral arrangements of their pieces and started playing concerts with various school programs. They wanted to make every student feel like a rock star and give them the experience of playing in a rock concert. They teach students to play with passion and to express their emotions through music. Educators commissioned Lucas to compose original pieces for young orchestras all over the world. Clocks & Clouds believe that music education is a powerful tool in a young person’s development and they desire to inspire students to continue to develop their own musical passions as they navigate through their formative years.
Currently Clocks & Clouds is seeking to further develop their sound, and are in the process of writing for a new album with the hope to release this self-produced album in 2016. You can follow Clocks & Clouds via twitter @clocksandclouds.