Clutch are set to unleash their new album Psychic Warfare on Oct. 2, and frontman Neil Fallon recently was gracious enough to play a game of ‘Would You Rather?’ with us. Fallon tells us why he prefers the road to the studio, discusses his fondness of Tom Waits and much more. Check out our game of ‘Would You Rather?’ featuring Clutch vocalist Neil Fallon below:

Would you rather be really late for a show or mess up onstage?  

Having done both, I’d rather mess up onstage. That’s always a good way to, one, throw cold water on oneself because sometimes you could just be going through the motions night after night. Second, that’s always good inspiration to not f--- up the next night. Being late is always frustrating because it’s almost always out of your hands and you can’t control it.

Would you rather be in the studio or on tour?  

I would rather be on tour. The studio is like an office and I don’t like having to commute to an office. Sure creating music is fun and recording it can be fun but nothing comes close to the sanctity of a live show. Touring can be tedious at times, especially 20 years in and the romance has worn off but I get to go to Europe several times a year and go on these vacations whereas I know people like my parents who save up for that one trip to Ireland and that’s it and that’s all they’ll do.

Would you rather have a massive bank account or a massive fanbase?

[Laughs] I’d rather have a massive fanbase because you can’t take your massive bank account to the grave. A massive fansbase would live on and I guess that’s a bit ego driven desire for immortality. There’s a lot of people with massive bank accounts who don’t have any fans in the world and there are plenty of, sadly, underappreciated artists who get their massive fanbases after they die in poverty.

Would you rather tour with a band you didn’t respect or tour with a band that didn’t respect you?

That’s a very good question, having done both many times. [Laughs] Oh Jesus, that’s a tough one there’s no right answer. You know what I guess I would have to say, I’d rather tour with a band that didn’t respect us because they’re just wrong. Whereas touring with a band we didn’t respect, I guess most bands can be very self-centered and arrogant and I think I’m probably not that much of an exception of participating in the after shows s--- talk fest. At this point we have grown very skilled at just worrying about ourselves and just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean other people don’t. It’s all very subjective.

Would you rather have lunch with a music icon who has passed on or a music icon who is currently alive? And who would it be?

I would love to have lunch with Tom Waits. Early on, he was an influential lyric writer for me when I stopped and realized there are things other than heavy metal and hardcore. Still to this day, his lyrics make my jaw drop. He just seems like an interesting person to discuss aesthetics and he seems like he enjoys a good cup of coffee, too.

Would you rather have an accordion for legs or drumsticks for hands?

[Laughs] I guess sound-wise, that’s what I’m thinking about, which would be annoying long term. If you had drumsticks for hands it would be constant clicking no matter what you’re trying to do. You can sit down with accordions for legs and then use your hands to play them. I’d probably say accordions for legs.

Would you rather be an ‘80s rock band in present day or would you rather be Clutch in the ‘80s?

Oh God, I’d rather be an ‘80s rock band in the present day. I’m very skeptical if Clutch would have been received well during the high water mark of glam rock and hair rock and we certainly aren’t punk rock enough. We started early off enough that the first bands we had were in the ‘80s, I’m going to be 44 so it’s really not that much of a stretch to say that we are an ‘80s band.

Our thanks to Neil Fallon of Clutch for the interview. Be sure to pick up the new album 'Psychic Warfare' via iTunes!

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