(intheclear) is, from left: Corey Heim, John Stemmle, Andy Paul, Brandon Sidebottom and Clay Cook.

This probably isn't surprising, but there's a story behind the title of (intheclear)'s new EP, "Dirty Cheese and the Hoodie Thieves."

"(The band members) are all really goofy people," singer Andy Paul said. "And I have these multiple personalities that come out of me sometimes. One day, I put in a set of redneck teeth and suddenly became `Russell Cheese.'"

When Cheese uttered something about "the dirty cheese and the hoodie thieves," an album title was born. "It just made sense," he said.

What also makes sense is that a band is more cohesive and productive when everybody gets along, and that's definitely the case with (intheclear).
"We're best friends," he said.

Sound

A hard rock/alternative/metal band, Intheclear has been compared to "the Deftones meets Perfect Circle meets Taproot," Paul said. Broader musical influences include U2, Joe Satriani and Jeff Buckley.

A band that tours all over the Midwest, (intheclear) emphasizes its energetic live shows.

"Being in a band, 80 percent of it is having a great live show," said Paul, 27. "If you can't perform well live, there's no point. We want people to have fun with us and enjoy the show."

Background

Paul previously sang with a band called Factor 9. When he started looking for a new gig, he consulted a friend of his brother who was in a group called Static Divide. "(The friend) said, `We just kicked out our singer not even two hours ago. Why don't you come over and see what you think?' It just clicked."

So they all got together, and after one more lineup change, the current band was born 21/2 years ago. Along with Paul, (intheclear) is rhythm guitarist Clay Cook, bassist Corey Heim, drummer John Stemmle and lead guitarist Brandon Sidebottom.

Since then, they've been keeping a steady pace, balancing day jobs with a busy tour schedule that includes stops in Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland. The band has opened for Days of the New, Chevelle, Flaw and Sevendust, and performed at all the major venues in the region.

"We play wherever and whenever," Paul said. "We want to play in front of anyone who will listen."

Last year, (intheclear) won a battle of the bands to earn a main-stage slot at the 2004 LRSFest. And after pooling band members' money, they released the "Dirty Cheese" EP with the help of producer Malcolm Springer (Full Devil Jacket, Greenwheel, Sinch) in September.

Outlook

Now touring to support the EP, Intheclear would like to "make a full-time job of being on the road," Paul said. But until then, a new investor is enabling the band to record a full-length album, which Intheclear will make soon.

As long as these five can keep whooping it up and being goofy together, expect to hear a lot more music from them.

"Chemistry is a big part of it," Paul said. "To get five people together in a room who click, the music is that much easier to put together and play."

For more info and a tour schedule, go to www.intheclear.net.