After recently returning with his stunning comeback single 'Reckless', his first new material in eight years, Northern Irish indie-rock innovator David C Clements has now announced his plans for his new studio album 'The Garden', alongside the release of the euphoric double A-side that offers “Contrast” / “The Garden”.
Marking his first full-length release since his groundbreaking debut LP 'The Longest Day In History' in 2016, 'The Garden' heralds a new beginning for Clements as an artist.
David C Clements calls time a blessing and a curse. In the eight years since the release of her debut album, she has toiled through the long winters of creativity and now delivers 'The Garden', an 11-track alt-folk record featuring songs written with Iain Archer and Jacknife Lee.
Spending the better part of a decade writing and recording 'The Garden', Clements has “accidentally jotted down” the key moments of his life. He started close to home with producer Michael Keeney (Foy Vance, SOAK) in Bangor, County Down, meeting up one night a week to experiment with new songs. Under the direction of Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Clements was encouraged to take his time and explore co-writing.
While the demands of life may prevent time from being devoted to music, it is that same life that creates the stories shared in these songs. Clements and his wife welcomed a son. Beloved family members were lost; he found them again in dreams. He moved house, changed jobs, made friends and lost contact with others. Songs were dropped and new ones took root. His daughter was in preschool when recording began; she now she is about to finish primary school. Clements writes about empathy and escape, the mundane and the immeasurable. “I've been wandering for years looking for the garden,” he sings on the title track.
Adding on the record, he said, “I am very excited to announce the release of my upcoming album 'The Garden'. I was lucky enough to do it with some of the best producers, starting with my long-time producer, Michael Keeney, who got it all off the ground, then Jacknife Lee, who was a dream to work with, and finally Iain Archer. whose music and work I have loved for years. It took the guts of my thirties to do it and I've poured everything I have into it. It will be yours soon, I can’t wait for you to hear it.”
Her new double singles “Contrast” and “The Garden” are two of her most emotional releases to date, capturing more of that warm, captivating aesthetic she has become synonymous with. The former was co-written and produced by Iain Archer (Snow Patrol, Noah Kahan, James Bay) and features a string arrangement by Oliver Kraus (Adele, Sia, Ash). He continues his long-awaited return here with style and aplomb.
Speaking of “Contrast,” he said, “Contrast was the first of my co-writes with Iain Archer. I've been a fan of his for years and was very excited to work with him. Iain has a real knack for connecting with people and bringing out songs that you still own, so the sessions turned out to be very fertile ground. The song itself is about connecting and celebrating our differences, seeking greater understanding and empathy in an increasingly contrasting world.
While adding about “The Garden”, “The Garden is a protest song I wrote when my daughter was still very little. There are many people who will write much more eloquently and succinctly than I about prejudice and gender inequality in our world, and are much more qualified to do so. What I will say is a song about a father who simply wants his daughter to grow up with the freedom to be whoever he wants and whatever she wants to be.”
Following the release of her debut album, 'The Longest Day in History' in 2016, Clements established herself as one of Northern Ireland's most distinctive voices. In 2022, she took over as lead singer for Two Door Cinema Club at their South American festival. He was invited to Washington DC in 2023 to perform at the capital's St. Patrick's Day Gala Concert alongside James Vincent McMorrow, SOAK and Tolü Makay.
David C Clements performs in places as epic and ethereal as his musical offerings. Within the circular walls of Mussenden Temple, located on the edge of a cliff with the Atlantic Ocean below. At Belfast Central Church, his sold-out Christmas show has become an annual tradition, with pews full of listeners revering Clements' voice. If he sings it, they will come.
To celebrate his long-awaited new album, David C Clements will also perform a one-off show at Belfast's Ulster Hall on October 6 with his full band and Arco String Quartet. Tickets are now available.
'The Garden' will be released on September 20 via Third Bar Records and will be available on vinyl and digital formats.
Tour dates
Ulster Hall, Belfast – 6 October 2024
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