WE ARE THE CLE ELUM
The Cle Elum is Sarah Sargent (drums) and Ian Lee (vocals, guitar) + a collection of talented friends.
"The Cle Elum is a new indie-alternative project from industry veterans Sarah Sargent and Ian Lee. The duo have been cutting their teeth at the highest levels of the touring industry for nearly 25 years as owners of boutique tour support company Affordable Tour Solutions and as tour / merch managers for the likes of Nada Surf, Andrew Bird and Alanis Morisette.
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Their new endeavor sees them taking the stage with Lee on vocals / guitar and Sargent on drums, delivering an upbeat blend of alternative, indie and punky emo. 'Goodbye Night Sky' is the band’s second single and an absolute earworm of a song, featuring distinctive vocals from Josh Caterer (Smoking Popes). The song lands in ‘punk rock anthem’ territory with one of our favorite choruses in recent memory, complete with fuzzed out guitars and a driving beat that underscore the catchy lyrics." - New Noise Magazine
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"Great punk-rock energy is wasted on people who do not have a lot of ideas on how to use it. But that’s just how life works. If you love punk energy, you take what you take and what you can get, and don’t grumble too much when the guitars aren’t in tune or when the songs start to blend into each other. The solution to those kinds of problems is supposed to arrive with time and experience, and there is no way to buy a shortcut.
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The Cle Elum’s 'Goodbye Night Sky', a song featuring Smoking Popes’ excellent Josh Caterer, is as old-fashioned as your granny telling you how everything is bound to turn out OK and just as comforting. It sounds like a bullfaced lie the first time you hear it, but if you’re lucky, it ends up being the kind of advice that you yourself will one day give others. It’s no surprise that Caterer would be involved with such a song, considering his own band’s knack for marrying old wisdom with energy." - Alt77
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"Indie rockers The Cle Elum have shared 'Old Folks,' the new single taken off the duo's upcoming debut album, 'It's OK If It Falls Apart,' out Aug 16 on Winston Sounds. The album features guest vocals from Matthew Caws of Nada Surf and Josh Caterer of The Smoking Popes.
For Sarah Sargent Pepper and Ian Lee, first came love, then came a business marriage, then came the baby, their indie rock outfit The Cle Elum. “The band was formed in the total wrong order,” Lee jokes, ahead of the duo’s long-in-the-making debut album, It's Ok If It Falls Apart, out Friday, August 16, 2024 on independent label, Winston Sounds."
- Punk Rock Theory
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"The Cle Elum’s sound, which blends elements of indie rock with a pop touch, was the perfect opener for the headliner, Okey Dokey. The crowd responded enthusiastically, showing strong local support for the band, which has quickly become a staple of Chattanooga’s music scene." - Melodic Magazine
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