An Interview with Clarence Tilton on Brand New Album “Queen of the Brawl”

Interview Contributed to by Krista Vilinskis of Elephants and Flowers Media
Header Photo by: Audrey Hertel

Clarence Tilton, the Omaha-based band known for its sharp storytelling and harmonies to match announces the release of their latest album, Queen of the Brawl.

The record features collaborations with country icon Marty Stuart and Presley Tucker (bandmate and daughter of the legendary Tanya Tucker). Recorded at ARC Studios in Omaha (a staple for Midwest Americana and indie artists), Queen of the Brawl captures Clarence Tilton’s ability to balance raw musicianship with evocative storytelling.

The album weaves together heartland imagery, the resilience of small-town life, and the weight of history, all wrapped in the band’s signature harmonies and lived-in sound. This record is as much about feeling at home as it is about being on the move. The five-piece band features brothers Chris Weber (guitar and vocals) and Corey Weber (guitar, vocals and pedal steel) who grew up in a small town (1,000 people, 10,000 cows), learning guitar on borrowed instruments and bonding over influences like Neil Young, Son Volt, The Allman Brothers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and James Gang. The band also features Craig Meier (bass), Paul Novak (guitar and vocals) and Jarron Wayne Storm (drums, percussion and vocals). Their music, rooted in family legacy and small-town life, balances raw alt-country grit with rich, melodic hooks. Clarence Tilton has released three full-length albums, Clarence Tilton (2015), Start Already Lost (2019), Queen of the Brawl (2025), and an EP, Word Rolled In (2018).

Clarence Tilton Interview:

 
With the release of Queen of the Brawl, Omaha’s Clarence Tilton delivers a record that blends rich storytelling, raw Americana grit, and high-profile collaborations with legends like Marty Stuart and Presley Tucker. We caught up with the five-piece band—made up of brothers Chris and Corey Weber, Craig Meier, Paul Novak, and Jarron Wayne Storm—to talk about the album’s roots, their small-town upbringing, and why this might be their most powerful release yet.

Let’s start with the title—Queen of the Brawl is evocative, a little dangerous, and totally compelling. What’s the story behind it?

It sounds like a track name, but it’s not. What does the phrase “Queen of the Brawl” mean to you? How does it tie into the themes of the record?

We found QOTB on the back of a WWII bomber jacket in our (Weber bros) hometown museum (our dad is the curator). The owner of the jacket was the father of a friend and musical mentor of ours back home. This dude flew B-17s over Germany and his stories are sprinkled throughout CT’s ten plus years of songwriting.

This album feels both lived-in and urgent. Was there a central idea you were chasing when you started writing it?

Where did you begin—melodically, lyrically, emotionally?

Songs come from two angles: melodically and lyrically. Usually the melody or chord structure comes first. More often than not Corey throws a riff out and says “do something with this!” Sometimes it’s, “hey man, you should write a song about this!” What he doesn’t know is he’s just done the hardest part. I can build around anything, that’s just fun… that’s the Mick task. It’s the Keith work that’s the hardest. The blank page or the empty space….The seed is the heavy lift. When I approach the song from “I wanna say this…” it rarely resonates, rarely has buy-in, and usually dies on the vine. Collaborations have much better purchase in the soil. The only thing these songs have in common is their half-life…or born on date.

You recorded Queen of the Brawl at ARC Studios in Omaha. How did that setting influence the sound and spirit of the record?
What makes ARC special for a band like yours?

It’s just down the street for us, but more importantly, it’s where our engineer works. Working with Adam Roberts is always a joy. He was pivotal in the process, he had the energy and willingness to listen and try all our goofy ideas.

“Fred’s Colt” really kicks the record into gear—and having Marty Stuart on it is huge. How did that collaboration come about?
What was it like to hear Marty Stuart interpreting your music?

We’ve opened for Marty and the Superlatives several times in Omaha. It gave us the chance to talk shop (mostly because they’re all such good guys, and gear freaks like us). Our management had a contact in Marty’s camp, so we were able to propose the colab through them. When we found out that Marty had even remembered us and was willing to throw down on a tune, it took 3-4 seconds to nominate “Fred” as the tune to send. I wrote a brief history of the tune and how his voice and guitar would fit well. But I said if he simply wanted to just play trombone, we’d be elated.

When we got the tracks back from Nashville we lost our minds. We had given him loose suggestions of where we could hear him… but he played through the whole tune and sang a verse and took the first solo. I can’t hear the song any other way now. I got the chance to hold the Clarence White B-bender once, but now it’s on my record! I’m not sure what else to wish for in this life…

You also worked with Presley Tucker on two tracks, including “Flyway Cafe” and “Pretty Things.” What did she bring to the process?
Was her involvement planned from the start—or did the songs evolve once she came on board?

Likewise our management was already tight with Presley, so we pitched giving her a go at some harmony vocals on a few songs. Flyway and Pretty Things seemed to fit the best. When we got the tracks back from Presley, we had to re-tool. She took the songs in a great direction and I had to re-record my vocals to try and meet her oomph. Presley has been so fun to get to know. She came to Nebraska for a few gigs, and we had her join us in Nashville for a show… she’s like a long lost sister. Having Sam Parker and Andrew Norman (Ride Home Management) in our court didn’t hurt, so she was already calibrated to the Nebraska dude mojo…. It’s thick… not many know this…

“Sorrow and Sail” has this timeless, aching quality—Peter Jesperson even said it reminded him of the Everly Brothers. Can you walk us through the making of that track?
Where did it come from emotionally?

Emotionally it came from a place of fear. I wrote the lyrics on a small little plane flying over the Missouri River in eastern Montana. Lots of Montana terms in that song…. Fort Peck Montana…. In the middle of NOWHERE, USA.

I had the lick, I had the words, the rest was the band creating the magic. Paul and Jarron both found the perfect feel. Corey revved up the baritone we borrowed from Conor Oberst (ARC bonus!), and also did some work on the b-bender. Jarron just burped out the harmonies in the chorus and we’ve never looked back. Jarron is the unsung hero of that song. We should pay him more…

From a listener’s standpoint, Queen of the Brawl feels like a highway record—equal parts grounded and restless. Was that a conscious decision?
What role does movement, travel, or transition play in your songwriting?

We all travel frequently. It’s a well worn trope…. But songs get written on the road. But during sedentary times, another great time to write songs is Sunday morning, right after you wake up—- cup of coffee and your guitar…. The mind moves well from dreaming to music (I think I read that from Sam Beam, but I’ve used it for at least 20 years). Equal parts grounded and restless? Yep. Grounded and restless… you nailed it. Conscious decision? Nope. That’s just what guys in our situation are like.

Clarence Tilton’s sound has often been compared to Son Volt, Old 97’s, even Neil Young. But who are the lesser-known influences that quietly shape what you do?
Let’s give credit where it’s due—who are your unsung heroes?

Somewhere in late 80s early 90s, we taped (VHS!) a PBS special on the guitar, which among other hilarious content included a couple minutes of a random dude (to us at the time) playing the telecaster and bending strings like we couldn’t believe. At the time our strats were strung with the SRV influenced .11 gauge strings, cuz we were disciples of that religion. We cut the bejesus out of our fingers trying to bend like Jerry Donahue. We never bought another Strat after that, and that 3 minutes of playing set a tick mark in our souls.

There’s such a strong sense of place in your music. How has growing up in a small Nebraska town shaped your songs?
1,000 people, 10,000 cows—that’s a line that sticks with you. How do you bring that environment into your music?

The small town we grew up in kept us just bored enough to spend the correct amount of time of our teenage years in our rooms playing guitar… What’s the correct amount of time you ask? All of it.

With three vocalists and multiple songwriters in the band, how do you maintain a cohesive sound while letting everyone’s voice shine?
What does your creative process look like?

The cohesion comes from writing a song then giving it away for someone else to sing. Paul and I do this often. Jarron gets carte blanche… if he’s moved to chime in, it’s gold. Someone comes to the table with a riff, or a hook, then we build around that little bit of structure together. Few songs are brought to the group completely finished. The hardest work we do is getting Corey’s instrumental arrangements into a 3/4 or 4/4 time sig. He refuses to count!

Is there a track on Queen of the Brawl that surprised you the most once it was finished?
Maybe one that took a detour—or ended up sounding nothing like the demo?

“Flyway Cafe” came out quite different from the demo I made during covid lockdown. Presley had a lot to do with that. The tune just started with the end harmony licks and we built a song around it. In a tune that should be all Presley, there are so many damn guitars and pianos in there! It’s nice having a collection of hometown musicians who are ninjas that come in and make you look good, then never remember if we paid him anything. Kevin Lloyd!!!!

Let’s talk live. You’ve got a big album release show coming up at The Waiting Room in Omaha. What can fans expect?
Any special guests or first-time performances planned?

TWR is home. Fans can expect us all to walk that tightrope of drinking too much prior to a gig; voice shot from yelling with your friends for an evening, the uncomfortableness of f-bombs in the presence of relatives… you know, gigs!

In all seriousness, we don’t take these hometown gigs lightly… we work hard to give those that have seen us a lot, some reason to invest their time yet again…. Come pick up a record! Ask Craig for free merch! come into the green room to play Corey’s guitars… The bands we’re playing with are all close friends, so it’ll be fun, dangerous, and goofy.

1Which track from the new album has been most fun to play live so far?
And on the flip side, which song keeps you on your toes?

“Float” is always one of our faves… but we always play it on the backside of “East Omaha Breakdown.” That 1-2 punch notion has always been our benchmark…but it’s challenging!

Looking back at where you started—with borrowed guitars and hand-me-down amps—what does Queen of the Brawl represent in your journey as a band?
Is this a high point—or just the next chapter?

QOTB is definitely a plateau for us, I’m not sure how often we’ll get the standing keeper of the country music flame (Marty) on our record, nor have the lovely Presley Tucker on board (although she has mentioned willingness for round 2!)… but nonetheless our next album is already written! The songs keep coming, so we try not to get in their way.

1Finally—what keeps Clarence Tilton going after all these years? What’s the fire that still burns?
Is it the songs? The shows? The people? The road?

Nah, just friendship. We started getting together because it felt good. Success or no, we’ll still gather in my brother’s basement, share a bottle, work on some songs, and get away from it all for a while. The music for us guitar nerds has always just begun with taking the opportunity to play an amp in a new place. Getting the chance to transmit what’s in your head into the air…that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Clarence Tilton Website and Socials:
www.clarencetilton.com/
facebook.com/clarencetiltonnebraska/
instagram.com/clarencetiltonband/
youtube.com/@ClarenceTilton
bit.ly/ClarenceTiltonSpotify
bit.ly/AppleMusicClarenceTilton
bit.ly/AmazonMusicClarenceTilton
bit.ly/QueenOfTheBrawlSoundCloud
https://linktr.ee/clarencetilton
https://www.tiktok.com/@clarencetilton