On A Hooky New Single, Clones Of Clones Wants To Be ‘Somebody Else’

By Jessica Meyer

D.C. indie-rock quartet Clones of Clones releases its debut LP in October.
D.C. indie-rock quartet Clones of Clones releases its debut LP in October.

D.C. indie-rock outfit Clones of Clones is in the process of building hype for its first album — Monster Heart, out Oct. 6 — and so far, it seems to be working: As of today, the band’s recent Modest Mouse cover has racked up more than half a million listens on Soundcloud.

album_500Clones of Clones’ latest single, “Somebody Else” — released last Tuesday and already soaking up thousands of plays — sounds true to form for the band, but with a decidedly sunnier temperament than earlier titular single “Monster Heart.”

The playful lyricism on “Somebody Else” serves as a distraction from the cheerless subtext.

“That’s how I deal with sad things sometimes,” says lead singer Ben Payes. “No one wants to delve into complete sadness when sad times are approaching.”

If you think Clones of Clones actually sounds like a clone of some other band you can’t seem to put a finger on — well, the group is OK with that.

“Good music is rooted in something familiar and comfortable,” Payes is quoted as saying on the band’s press site. Clearly, thousands of others agree.

Clones of Clones plays Aug. 28 at IOTA Club and Café.