About

A creator and manipulator of sounds, atmospheres, and moods would best describe Clint Allen’s music as of late.

Less likely to be seen on stage these days, Clint is involved in many sound projects for film, animation, and commercials, as well as solo material. No sooner said, however, Clint is once again involved in several bands playing a variety of instruments, each one a tool for the creation of his patented, unworldly sounds.  

Clint has always led “multiple lives” with his instruments. “I started playing drums and bass guitar roughly about the same time, around the age of 11. I could never decide which instrument I liked more and after a few years decided that  I would just have to do both. Once my brother was old enough to play drums however, it opened up a lot of space for me to start experimenting with guitars and synthesizers.”
In 1997, all of these worlds came together in the form of the Chapman Stick. “For years I had been a Chapman Stick enthusiast, but it was not until 1997 when I acquired my first Stick did I realize the endless possibilities”. The inventor and builder of the Stick, Emmett Chapman, started building the first prototypes in the late 60’s. In the words of Greg Howard, Chapman Stick Player:

“The Chapman Stick or “Stick” employs a two-handed tapping technique. Each hand plays its own part on the strings, tapping and holding notes independently for a full keyboard-like style, but with all the expressiveness and timbral color of a stringed instrument. Bass, melody, counterpoint and chords are all simultaneously possible in the hands of one musician.” A more detailed listing of Clint’s instruments, gear, and setup can be found here.

Clint was born and raised in Louisville, Ky. He started playing the Alto Saxophone at the age of 9 in elementary school. During those years he was exposed to the music that he now credits as being most influential. “Without a doubt, my mother was my biggest influence and she had a most interesting and diverse record collection which included Emerson, Lake, & Palmer’s Brain Salad Surgery, Japanese Synthesist Isao
Tamita’s Snowflakes are Dancing, and of course The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album.” “Outside of that record collection, my biggest moments back then were hearing Gary Numan’s The Pleasure Principle album on the radio while on a family trip in Florida, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and finally seeing Rush play Xanadu on Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert. They were very magical moments!”

Clint’s first “official” band was formed in high school in 1982, called “Me & Them. The band was formed to enter a talent show. There were several bands throughout high school with names like “Countdown”, a Rush AND Japan cover band. By his senior year, Clint formed the band Ancestor Worship which consisted of Danny Bowman on guitar and vocals, Greg Wilson on bass and vocals, and Clint on drums. “That was
my favorite band at that time. It would be very interesting to see where that would have gone”. There were many, many unnamed projects with his brother Billy Donald on drums. Bands throughout the years have included newer versions of Me and Them, Ancestor Worship, Halo of Distortion, Dark Halo, Caezure Melodius, IO/Sunzero, and Black Acid Candy Box.

Clint is an Information Technology Consultant for several companies in the Louisville area. He also provides sound and multimedia consulting and development services for museums, galleries, media, and is the Live Sound Engineer at The Pour Haus, a local venue for live music.