The Cleverlys

Lore & Background

Paul Harris grew up in Arkansas and began working in entertainment in 1994, starting with comedy sketches before moving to stand-up comedy and finally comedy music. After experience in a punk music band, Harris moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2006 to focus on the music industry. He initially pitched the Cleverlys idea as a television show, but when talent agents began calling for the band, The Cleverlys were founded in 2009. The band first focused on covering hip hop and rhythm and blues songs for their intrinsic contrast to bluegrass music. Harris told The News & Advance in 2019 that his goal was to raise the standard for bluegrass comedy, away from the 'podunk hillbilly, blacked-out tooth, bow tie, that type of thing'.

Reader's Guide

The Cleverlys represent a distinctive fusion of bluegrass instrumentation with comedic covers of popular hip hop, R&B, and pop songs, such as 'No Diggity' by Blackstreet and 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)' by Beyoncé. Their significance lies in their effort to modernize bluegrass comedy by rejecting outdated stereotypes, as articulated by Harris in 2019. The band's elaborate fictional mythology—including an alpaca farm, a blind bassist, and characters arrested for running a sloth-fighting ring—adds a layer of theatricality to their performances. By early 2019, some of their YouTube videos had garnered over one million views, and they received positive coverage from outlets like The Boot and Bluegrass Today. Their 2011 Grand Ole Opry appearance, alongside sharing a stage with Darius Rucker, marked a notable milestone. The band's legacy includes a mockumentary due for release in spring 2011 and a rotating membership that allows former members to reprise their fictional roles.

Did You Know?

• The band's fictional history claims the Cleverly Trio was founded in 1952 by Digger Cleverly's father and four uncles.
• When bassist Irl Hees left the group, his character was written out as being 'arrested for running a bloody sloth-fighting ring'.
• The Cleverlys' cover of LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' was called one of their 'best ever' by AGDAILY.
• The band's fictional backstory includes an alpaca farm in Cane Spur, Arkansas, producing alpaca sausages and woolly lingerie.

Origins & Formation

Paul Harris grew up in Arkansas and entered the entertainment world in 1994, working through comedy sketches, stand-up, and comedy music. He also had experience in a punk band. In 2006 he relocated to Nashville to pursue the music industry. He originally pitched the Cleverlys concept as a television show, but when talent agents started calling requesting the band, the group was formally founded in 2009. Their early material centered on covering hip-hop and R&B songs specifically for the contrast those genres created against bluegrass instrumentation. Harris told The News & Advance in 2019 that he wanted to elevate bluegrass comedy beyond the stereotypical hillbilly-and-bow-tie image. The lineup has shifted over the years, which Harris attributed to awkward scheduling and the difficulty of committing to character acting as Cleverly family members.

The Cleverly Family Lore

Within the band's narrative, Digger Cleverly's father and four uncles established the group in 1952 as the Cleverly Trio. Digger himself spent time touring with teen idol Leif Garrett as the young star's E-string tuner before stepping in as the family band's patriarch. Outside of shows, the Cleverlys supposedly operate an alpaca farm in Cane Spur, Arkansas, where they produce everything from alpaca sausages and dairy to woolly lingerie—a product line that, by their own admission, has yet to gain traction. New members would immerse themselves in their Cleverly alter egos by literally walking around the towns they were about to perform in, staying in character as practice. Irl Hees, who played the blind bassist Miles Cleverly, told The Boot that a local resident genuinely believed he was blind all the way to the driver's seat of his car.

Sound, Style & Recordings

The Cleverlys' bluegrass has been described as rooted in the Ozarks, and their setlist leans heavily on covers that create maximum genre contrast. Their recorded catalog includes The Cleverlys (2011), Cash Crop (2016), and Blue (their newest release as of March 2019). A mockumentary about the group was also slated for a spring 2011 release. Among their most recognizable covers are Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles, No Diggity by Blackstreet, Angel by Shaggy, Low by Flo Rida, I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyoncé, and Gangnam Style by Psy. The instrumentation centers on double bass, banjos, and fiddles, with drums added by Stevie Wilkerson in the Harvey D. Cleverly role.

Live Career & Critical Reception

The Cleverlys earned early national attention when, after performing at the CMA Music Festival and sharing an Independence Day stage in Nashville with Darius Rucker, they received an invitation to the Grand Ole Opry on July 15, 2011. They have also played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. By early 2019, several of their YouTube videos had surpassed one million views, and AGDAILY singled out their cover of LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem as one of the group's finest moments. Townsquare Media's The Boot praised the band, noting they like their bluegrass to make them laugh, while Bluegrass Today recommended catching a live show, describing the group in 2019 as high in dysfunction and low on personality but alive with comedic possibility. The blend of genuine bluegrass musicianship and committed character comedy has made them a distinctive voice in the genre.