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CLEWS
return with their
dark & melancholic
‘EVERYTHING IS HEAVY’
LISTEN HERE
Tour announced for
January | February 2023
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“They offer up no easy solutions, instead providing a propulsive pop song built on a turn-of-the-century drum loop, sisterly harmonies, and another ear-worm chorus to add to their growing list of anthems” – The Guardian
“The band’s development as a live act has influenced their songwriting, with a certain looseness and a natural approach to performance putting their light and loving dynamic as sisters on display and permeating through new studio recordings.” – Amnplify
“The band has a certain looseness and natural presence live, brought through in their light and loving dynamic as sisters.” – Backbeat Podcast
“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.” – Black of Hearts
“every new song that they release, proving that not only is it possible to make and perform music together, but that the music that they create can also hit close to home in a way that only a song written by two sisters can.” – Blunt Magazine
“They’re making music that’s chock-full of harmonies, and their tracks are perfect for a sing-along.” – Ben Madden
“CLEWS are commanding their space in a male-dominated genre and doing an amazing job at it.” – CrushCop
“The two musicians bring a freshness to what is usually an intensely energetic genre. We love what they’ve created, absolutely a huge mood.” – Fine Tune Magazine
“Soaring to new heights, CLEWS have created something special- a funky, passionate, and upbeat retelling of everyone’s greatest struggle; the struggle of letting go of the past.” – Livewire AU
“Want You That Way is a shimmering jewel the duo are gifting to their fans, full of honesty, energy and elation” – Milky Magazine
“The camaraderie of sisterhood is a truly beautiful thing, turn it into music and it is something else…in the best way possible!” – The Music Files
“Moving their sound into a more pop direction, the song is a beguiling mix of pop, guitar rock with hints of country with its sonic landscape abruptly changing direction when you least expect it creating a glorious listening experience.” – Women In Pop
“Loveluck Omens encapsulates the charm of CLEWS in a succinct four tracks, presenting their highest peaks sonically as the duo relish in their blooming confidence as both musicians and (more generally) people; Loveluck Omens being an EP full of romanticism, albeit not in the heart-eyes kind-of-way you’d expect.” – Pilerats
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CLEWS – aka Lily and Grace Richardson – are fast becoming known for delighting audiences with their candied grunge sound. Their songs sparkle with lush harmonies and writing that speaks to fans from the heart. The sisters return today with the release of their new single ‘Everything Is Heavy’ via Wonderlick Recording Company / Sony Music Entertainment Australia. The song marks a return to a darker, more reflective tone for CLEWS, reminiscent of their earlier material, but with an elevated aesthetic that speaks to their growth as artists and songwriters.
LISTEN HERE
Lily of CLEWS explains that ‘Everything is Heavy’ (produced by Oscar Dawson of Holy Holy) is about the stakes in everyone’s lives getting higher as life goes on; “the people I love and the people around me have now been through more in life and those experiences are shaping us all. There’s been a big shift in my life and Grace’s where we’re starting to go through our first serious relationships, which has brought us closer together as sisters. ‘Everything Is Heavy’ is kind of about taking all that seriously and to heart instead of brushing it all off. The verses are about working hard for love and accepting that you’ve done all you can to make it work out, even when it doesn’t.”
The release of ‘Everything Is Heavy’ is accompanied by another stunning visual made with Maya Luana – long-time collaborator and an integral part of the CLEWS backbone.
“The video was shot down the coast where we grew up. We chose a magical winter night when the big orange super moon was rising over the beach we spent every day of our childhood on,” says CLEWS. “We also shot guitar scenes in the community hall where we did music theatre rehearsals when we were kids. Going back to our hometown to make art has become a very special process for us and I hope adds authenticity to our videos by capturing us in an environment we feel truly part of. The video has a simple colour pallet – black and white and reds, with the darkness of the ocean looming in the background. We wanted to make something that felt a little more serious for CLEWS – inspired by the visuals of King Krule and Wolf Alice and red stage lights.”
For Lily and Grace, leaning into the catharsis of songwriting has been a big part of them navigating life, love and relationships. Their universe has revolved around music for as long as they can remember. CLEWS have carved out a distinct sonic identity of strong, melodic vocals, lush production and the organic sound of a high energy band that echoes elements of the rock artists they love – PJ Harvey, Warpaint, Cherry Glazerr, and Fontaines D.C.
The band’s development as a live act has influenced their song writing, Lily reflects; “The more we connect with audiences at shows, the more open and honest I want to be in my songwriting and storytelling. Becoming more open to love and more in touch with my relationships over the past few years has made me realise how powerful it is when a song speaks to you, cutting like a laser right through the headnoise to articulate a feeling so specific, yet so universal.” The more Lily and Grace sing their hearts out, the stronger the CLEWS connection gets.
Behind the scenes, Lily just completed her Honours thesis exploring young women-identifying artists’ experiences in music, which impacted her role in CLEWS profoundly: “my research about women in music really motivated me to never, ever stop making rock and roll because I really underestimated how powerful it is to have women singing at the top of their lungs in rock for other young girls to see.”
Fresh from touring with Holy Holy, Hockey Dad and Boy & Bear this year, fans can catch CLEWS heading back out on the road again in support of ‘Everything Is Heavy’ from October. For full ticketing information, head HERE.
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TOUR DATES
Saturday 22 October 2022 – Flavour Fest – Melton, VIC
Saturday 3 December 2022 – Sunsets Festival – Manly, NSW
Sunday 1 January 2023 – Summer South Festival – Morton, NSW
Friday 20 January 2023 – The Lansdowne – Sydney, NSW
Friday 27 January 2023 – Black Bear Lodge – Brisbane, NSW
Friday 3 February 2023 – The Workers Club – Melbourne, VIC
Saturday 4 February 2023 – Crown & Anchor – Adelaide, SA
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Photo – Deb Kloeden Photography
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Follow CLEWS
YouTube – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter
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About CLEWS
Undeniable songwriting prowess and two soaring lead vocals that harmonise like honey have been the backbone of CLEWS since they first burst onto the scene with their 2018 debut ‘Museum’. After a string of powerful singles including ‘Crushed’ and ‘Overluck’, CLEWS offered up their first EP Loveluck Omens in 2021, followed by bittersweet-sounding single ‘Lean Across’.
CLEWS kept busy in 2020, using their time off the road to focus on creating their first body of work with producer Dylan Adams (DMA’s, West Thebarton). 2021 kicked off with the girls launching a new creative venture, LOVE CLEWS – a podcast to accompany their EP LOVELUCK OMENS where they had deep chats with guests like Spacey Jane, Montaigne and UPSAHL about love and relationships. Creating a podcast made available the warmth and charm the sisters have as part of the CLEWS arsenal that would otherwise only be on display via their mid-set banter at their live shows. The same year also saw them returning to the stages in Sydney supporting DMA’S, Tash Sultana, selling out two headline shows at The Lansdowne, and always putting a personal touch to each of their appearances for their audiences they now
2022 has so far seen the captivating duo making special appearances on Holy Holy’s Hello My Beautiful World National Tour, Hockey Dad’s Regional Tour, as well as dates with Boy & Bear and some very special shows of their own in Sydney and Melbourne.
CLEWS have amassed over 3 million global streams across all DSP’s, with playlist support from Spotify’s NMF AUNZ, US, Canada, EQUAL AU& NZ, Indie Arrivals, The Local List, and Apple Music’s New Music Daily, New in Indie etc.
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AMNPLIFY – DB
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My nickname is “The Amnplifier”. Why? Because around here my focus is on being a conduit for providing greater outcomes that people come here for. My day to day “work” is living in the moment, and I love helping others concentrate on finding their connection to themselves through their experiences.
Why start a music environment? The truth is I love music, I love writing, and I love life. I work with musicians every day, and I feel certain that I will be until they put me in the ground. I have been managing people in businesses of some sort for over thirty five years so along the way I have developed some “wisdom” from my regular and constant “observations”.
Amnplify your experience. That is what we want you to do here, and if you want to let me know why you do, or don’t, shoot me a message on Facebook.
Hope you enjoy yourself here and find something that hits you somewhere.
