Clique exists not as a traditional band but as a forum for radical discourse within hardcore’s landscape. Formed in 2022 in California with members spanning the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Clique have quickly made a name for themselves through an undeniably vicious live show and a depth that’s been long missing from the scene. In a world increasingly defined by individual recognition, the band operates anonymously, rejecting the spotlight in favor of their message and finding strength in collective struggle.
Clique‘s first collection LP, In Lives That Won’t Last [order] compiles the band’s three self-released EPs: Looters in Paradise, A Worldwide Clique, and Communique along with debut single “Future Denied.” Previously, it was only available on self-distributed tapes and then eventually through co-conspirators Criminalized out of the San Fernando Valley. This marks the first time their material has been available on vinyl.
“This first Clique LP, ‘In Lives That Won’t Last,’ is an anthology of our collective struggle and perspective on this fucked up world. We see these songs as prayers for the marginalized and exploited, a celebration of our liberation to come, and a eulogy for the state and its worthless existence,” the band shares.
In a short time span, Clique’s discography shows off an immediate arc in growth. From the start, they carved out a niche delivering crushing, ignorant riffs. Most recently, Communique marked the first time the band has worked with an outside entity and producer, enlisting Photographic Memory (Wisp, formerly Militarie Gun). With PhotoMem, the band cemented just how heavy they can get as a band, interspliced with vibier divebombs and guitar textures.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, Clique was formed with explicit political intent. In an era where hardcore’s content has drifted toward toothless posturing, they aim to reintroduce radical thought into a scene that has lost much of its subversive edge. Drawing from influences spanning Crass to Neurosis, Earth Crisis to MBV, they forge a sound that defies easy categorization while undoubtedly belonging to hardcore.
Clique isn’t interested in raising awareness for impotent establishment causes or upholding the system. Their vision extends beyond reform to revolution – the dismantling of structures that exploit people, degrade cultures and destroy the earth. Each show is an invitation for people of all walks of life to participate, a reminder that hardcore’s true strength lies in the connection of everybody in the room, erasing the boundary between stage and crowd.
See Clique on tour this May + June with Full of Hell, Harms Way + more:
Clique, on tour:
May 19 St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill Duck Room
May 20 Louisville, KY – Portal
May 21 Nashville, TN – Exit/In
May 23 Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
May 24 Austin, TX – Empire Garage
May 25 Houston, TX – Secret Group
May 27 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
May 28 Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
May 30 Richmond, VA – The Canal Club
May 31 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Jun. 01 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Jun. 02 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Jun. 04 Amityville, NY – AMH
Jun. 05 Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
Jun. 06 Boston, MA – The Middle East
Jun. 07 Montreal, QC – Theatre Fairmount
Jun. 08 Toronto, ON – Axis Club
