Clogs

Formed by four musicians with classical backgrounds—Bryce Dessner, Padma Newsome, Rachael Elliott, and Thomas Kozumplik—the Clogs function as an experimental chamber group whose output draws on jazz, post-rock, and chamber traditions among other idioms. The members first connected during the late 1990s while enrolled at the Yale School of Music; Newsome, who had come from Australia’s University of Adelaide, attended on a Fulbright grant. Their sound incorporates elements of romanticism, minimalism, indie rock, and Indian folk traditions. The ensemble issued its debut recording, Thom’s Night Out, in 2001 and followed with Lullaby for Sue two years later. In 2003 the group received a Special Commissioning Award jointly from the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America, which supported a North American tour the following year. Stick Music, the Clogs’ third album, appeared shortly afterward, and in 2005 the quartet traveled across North America and the U.K. alongside the Books. The Lantern arrived in 2006, with Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton emerging in early 2010.