There’s a good reason why Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has scheduled only four shows in the U.S. this month, and all in or within close proximity to Alec Ounsworth’s hometown of Philadelphia.
Lead singer’s wife is expecting the couple’s second child by the end of September.
But fans of the CYHSY will happily welcome this tour, no matter how limited in scope. It’s been two years since the band last hit the road, and four years since its last album. The group is set to release their third full-length effort “Hysterical” on Sept. 20.
Yep, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is back.
“We had tried to work on a third record,” said Ounsworth, the band’s frontman, of the group’s hiatus. “It just happened to seem forced at the time. I think it was important that we all stepped back a bit.”
Step back, the band did. After two albums – 2005’s self-titled debut and 2007’s “Some Loud Thunder” – and plenty of miles logged on the road, Ounsworth said the guys needed some perspective and assess what they had as a band before regrouping. The stepping back has seemed to have given the group a new-found energy.
“It’s been great,” Ounsworth said. “It feels like all of that positivity and enthusiasm we had when we were starting off … it’s like we have that again. This definitely helps us to remember what was special about the project and why it’s special to be working together as a band. It’s maybe one of the best times of this whole band’s career.”
In addition to the live shows, the band’s resurgence includes their third album, “Hysterical.” Ounsworth describes the new album as dealing with maturity and coming to terms with responsibilities.
One of those signs of maturity for Ounsworth is the soon-to-be-arrival of his second child. He said his growing family forces him to take different approaches to songwriting. He also has to manage his time better.
“Time is a very precious thing,” he said. “It’s more of a precious thing now than it seemed to be in the past. I just try to get the most out of any work that I do when I’m at home.”
“There’s a certain degree of positivity that kind of comes with it,” Ounsworth continued, discussing fatherhood. “Raising a little girl is one of the greatest things that could have happen.”
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have been busy touring Europe, playing both club shows and festivals. Ounsworth said the shows have been a way for the band to get reacquainted with themselves, and their fans.
“Everybody’s been very positive and receptive,” he said. “We couldn’t have asked for anything better than this. This has been a lot of fun for everybody.”
