Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is the musical project of Americanindie rock musician Alec Ounsworth. It was founded in 2004 and is based in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Until 2014, the project operated as a band with drummer Sean Greenhalgh being a member for its entirety. Keyboardist/guitarist Robbie Guertin and brothers Lee and Tyler Sargent were also a part of the band from its inception until their collective departure in 2012. Their debut album, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, was self-released in 2005.
History
Early years
The band, whose members met years earlier at Connecticut College, formed in the beginning of 2004 and played shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn. They are notable for achieving their initial fame and commercial success via the internet rather than through a record label. Shortly after the release of their first album, they received attention from numerous MP3 blogs and a favorable review from Pitchfork Media, who gave the band a "Best New Music" commendation. The ensuing demand for the album was so great that the band was forced to re-press the CD, as the initial production run was too small. They garnered even more press after David Bowie and David Byrne were spotted at some of the band's shows in 2005. In October 2005, they were signed to Wichita Recordings in the UK. The band released their second album, Some Loud Thunder, on January 29, 2007, in the UK, and January 30, 2007, in the United States. On September 18, 2007, was released on iTunes. It features the band's complete live set from Lollapalooza, professionally recorded on August 4, 2007. The band appeared in the 2008 film The Great Buck Howard. In 2008, Lee and Tyler Sargent performed on James Lavino's score to the Alex Karpovsky film Woodpecker. The soundtrack also featured performances by Radiohead bass player Colin Greenwood.
Hiatus
On January 21, 2009, it was reported that CYHSY abandoned plans to head to the studio to record their third full-length album and are "taking a break" while the band members pursue side projects. The public hiatus was to take official effect after the band performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on February 13, 2009; however, on March 4, they performed a new song on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, titled "Statues". During the hiatus Alec Ounsworth released his solo debut, Mo Beauty, in late 2009 while concurrently releasing Skin and Bones, the debut album with his other band Flashy Python. Robbie Guertin and Tyler Sargent played in another project called Uninhabitable Mansions, along with Annie Hart from Au Revoir Simone. Guertin also began playing drums in another band, Radical Dads. Drummer Sean Greenhalgh produced records for a number of bands including Takka Takka, Conversion Party, Gabriel and the Hounds, Radical Dads, and Tom McBride.
Return
May 2011 brought news of the third album, reassuring fans that they had not broken up. The band released Hysterical, produced by John Congleton, on September 12 in the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia, and on September 20 in the United States. It was announced via a post on the band's official website with a video of the band rehearsing a few new songs from the album in the studio. A vinyl reissue of a remastered edition of the first album, released on June 14, 2011, was also announced. A music video for "Maniac" was made by Belgian director Pieter Dirkx. It was released on September 14, 2011. Unlike their previous two albums, Hysterical was not as well received by Pitchfork, however it did still chart in the U.S., France, and U.K. On July 3, 2012, an email from the group's website stated that Robbie Guertin was leaving to pursue other interests and to focus on his other band, Radical Dads. A subsequent email from the website dated July 6, 2012, stated that Tyler Sargent's last show with the band would be on July 7, 2012, as he was "currently in the process of forming a presidential exploratory committee for 2016." Lee Sargent also left the band after the July 7 show. On August 1, 2013, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah digitally released their EP Little Moments on their Bandcamp page. It consisted of four songs, two of which were to be included in a different form on their forthcoming LP, Only Run. Little Moments featured a new sound for the band that included a heavier reliance on synths and drum machines and fewer guitars. The band recorded the EP in Alec Ounsworth's home studio, mixing and mastering the EP themselves. Additionally, 500 10 inch vinyl EPs were put on sale on the band's Bandcamp page. On December 31, 2013, the band announced via email the completion of their forthcoming album called Only Run with a release date of June 3, 2014. The album was mixed by Dave Fridmann. A new single, "Coming Down", was released via SoundCloud on April 1, 2014. The track features vocals from The National's Matt Berninger. Following the release of Only Run, Greenhalgh left the band, leaving Ounsworth as the only member of the band. On May 13, 2015, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah announced they would be re-releasing their 2005 debut self-titled album on CD and vinyl for its 10th anniversary, which will coincide with a North American tour. The album was released on June 2, 2015, and came with a 12-track cassette of solo acoustic recordings. On February 15, 2017, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released The Tourist. This album has Ounsworth as the only remaining member from the original lineup. ;Current members
