JAMES CLARKE FIVE – ZOOM AND THE GADFLIES
A SPILL EXCLUSIVE ALBUM PREMIERE
London delivers. That is definitely the feeling that comes over upon listening to the new album from James Clarke Five. A wondrous, positive and generally upbeat artist, we have first dibs at the reveal for the new album Zoom and The Gadflies, released via Favourite Recordings. Pure, perfect power pop… no exaggeration.
James Clarke Five is the solo project of James Hughes, who was keyboardist and vocalist for Liverpool 80’s new wave band The Cherry Boys. Contemporaries of Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes, its members also played with The LA’s, Cast, The Icicle Works and Lightning Seeds.
This 11-track collection showcases the best of this songwriter. A storyteller at heart, he mixes classic baroque pop with strong melodies and distinctive chord changes, his melodic guitar-driven sound brings overtones of glam rock and psychedelia.
With some clear nods to XTC, Adam and the Ants and Joe Meek, this album was previewed by the singles “Gadfly Groove” (about the personal transformation of a quiet, tentative introvert to an outgoing, gadfly-like persona), “(Who’s Been On The) Big Rock Candy”‘ (about a couple who pursue increasingly daring deeds to a pounding, feedback-driven backdrop).
At the age of 12, James picked up a guitar, which he has scarcely put down since. Following The Cherry Boys, Hughes was a founder member of Exhibit B, who released the cult classic album ‘Playing Dead’ and several singles.
Upon moving to London in the early 2000s, Hughes launched James Clarke Five with the barnstorming single “Get Out Of Bed” and later found success with his song “Sexbombe Uber Alles”, the main theme of the film ‘Last Shop Standing’. Their most recent albums Underneath The Lemon Tree (2021) and ParlourSounds (2018), released by iconic Canadian label The Beautiful Music, garnered rave reviews. His music has also appeared in the film ‘Soundtrack to Sixteen’ and has amassed over 1.25 million Spotify streams to date.
Recorded in his home studio in London, James produced and mastered this album. He performed all instruments and vocals with the exception of Mack The Sax, who plays saxophone on ‘Gadfly Groove’ and Karen Bates, who provides backing vocals on ‘It’s Been So Long’.
Zoom and The Gadflies is out everywhere this Friday, available from fine digital platforms, including Bandcamp.
CREDITS
All songs written by James Clarke (AKA James Hughes), except ‘It’s Been So Long’ by Donaldson / Adamson
Karen Bates – backing vocals on track 8
Mac The Sax – saxophone on track 3
All other instruments and vocals by James Clarke
Produced by James Clarke
Cover artwork by James Clarke
James Clarke Five
Zoom And The Gadflies
(Favourite Recordings)
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Artist Links
Background Photo Credit: James Clarke
SPILL ALBUM PREMIERE: TAYLOR ACORN – GREENER (ACOUSTIC)
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