Philadelphia, PA · indie rock

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

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The blog-era success story, now essentially Alec Ounsworth solo, and that distinctive warble is undimmed — self-released indie history still touring on its own terms.

Alec Ounsworth began writing songs in high school and by 2003 was testing new material on acoustic guitar during a weekly two-song slot at a drag show at L'Etage, a venue in Philadelphia. He formed the band in 2004 with drummer Sean Greenhalgh, keyboardist Robbie Guertin and brothers Lee and Tyler Sargent, commuting to New York to rehearse. The name comes from graffiti spotted on a wall in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn.

The self-titled debut was recorded between Providence and Red Hook for under $5,000, produced and mixed by Adam Lasus, and released independently in 2005. The band hand-delivered copies to record stores in New York and Philadelphia, picked up fans including David Byrne and David Bowie, and drew early praise from Pitchfork that helped push the album to number 26 on the Billboard 200.

The music combines jangling, propulsive indie rock with Ounsworth's nasal, quavering voice, a delivery that drew comparisons to Byrne and Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum. Songs from the debut later turned up in films, television and advertising.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has released six albums in total, from the 2005 debut through to New Fragility in 2021. Since the original lineup dissolved, Ounsworth has carried the project largely on his own, writing, recording and touring under the band's name with backing musicians.

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indie rock