The creative powerhouse sister duo that is CLEWS have unveiled their new EP Loveluck Omens. As always, they are serving songwriting that stuns, harmonies that radiate, and production that oozes cool. Loveluck Omens revolves around the themes in the life stage Lily and Grace Richardson find themselves in: their relationship with companionship, love and good fortune.
"This EP and everything that comes with it is a completely unfiltered exploration of a simple idea: I turned 25 last year and have never been in love or in a relationship," said Lily. "The songs reflect on what it's like to be forever single, to build a wonderful life without a partner in crime and how never having had a boyfriend (or girlfriend) seems like an unusual predicament. As a woman, I have navigated so many ideas around companionship, sex, romance, self-worth, bodies and everything in between and these songs gather all my thoughts on the concept of 'love' that humans have been obsessed with since biblical times."
Setting the tone for the EP, the focus track "Cuban Heel" comes with transcendent songwriting skills, 2000s-inspired soundscapes (think The Killers) and remarkable vocals from the sister pair. "Cuban Heel" takes on a weird and wonderful world where lovers come and go but the dream of romance never dies. While the EP reflects on self-love, lust and loneliness, this song zeros in on infatuation - an infatuation so strong you would let the weight of it crush you like a bug under someone's boot.
"Cuban Heel came out of a strange short story I wrote about a girl finding her life's companion," says Lily. "This song is about infatuation, so it suits that it came from a fictional story. I imagine a young girl falling in love with an older man but not knowing what to do with all her feelings."
"Cuban Heel" is for when love is a lightning bolt, and you find yourself thinking the object of your affection is the most unique, amazing, beautiful, unparalleled person who has ever come into your orbit.
"I want people to sail away on this song, imagining all the times they've loved and lost and to think of all the intrigue the future holds. It's a mad fever dream of love, a story about feeling like you've met someone so out of your league it hurts to fantasise about being with them."
The most recent release from CLEWS, "Overluck", saw another outstanding contribution to their new style, featuring soaring vocals and perfect harmonies. Building volumes of anticipation and readiness for their EP from fans and music big shots alike, "Overluck" received praise from NME Australia, Pilerats, Women In Pop, Milky and more.
"This song (Overluck) sets the theme for the EP: being lucky in life but unlucky in love. Songwriting is like sharing my feelings with myself, and I didn't realise how worried I was about being alone until I wrote this song. I reflect on being happy where I am in my life but wondering if I'm missing something because I've never been in love. The chorus is a powerful mantra for me as a woman - a reminder that I've made the right choices in my life and always have the power to choose my path. I am the architect of my happiness and pleasure, I don't have to be with anyone I don't want to be with, and I will always choose a spark over the fear of being on my own." said CLEWS.
To celebrate the release of the EP, CLEWS is expanding their creativity by creating a brand new podcast called "LOVE CLEWS" - on Spotify from Monday 24th May. The podcast focuses on the girls' relatable experiences around love, sex and dating. This combined with their animated personalities and witty humour, creates the perfect storm of an intimate, honest and refreshing take on dating as modern girls in a modern world. Putting their personalities on full display in the podcast series, Lily and Grace talk about the themes that thread through their lives and their music, reflecting on what it's like to be navigating new love and relationships.
CLEWS kept busy in 2020, using their time off the road to focus on creating their first body of work and recalibrating their live show to be ready for their full-capacity return. They have recently returned to stages in Sydney supporting DMA'S, selling out two headline shows at The Lansdowne and are set to appear alongside Spacey Jane and Ocean Alley at this weekend's Next Exit Festival, always putting a personal touch to each of their appearances for their fans who they now consider part of their big extended CLEWS family.
The band has a certain looseness and natural presence live, brought through in their light and loving dynamic as sisters. This permeates through their new studio recordings which sample some of that uncopyable magic brought out when they start hooting and hollering while going stir crazy in the studio together. Having spent the last year building a reputation as a formidable live act both in Australia and the UK, CLEWS have become more than just a band to watch.
2021 is set to be a huge year for CLEWS, Lily and Grace are ready to continue their biggest phase of creativity and music yet.
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