Clare Easdown is an artist whose work we have really come to love and appreciate over the last year or so. The Sydney-based vocalist and producer is seriously productive, and she’s released 19 singles already just this year! From ‘Injected‘ to her AI-generated gem ‘NOT READY TO DIE‘ and everything in between, we’ve been following her journey closely.
Desperate to get to know her a bit better, I was thrilled when she agreed to an interview! Chatting with us about her deeply personal new single ‘I Break’, who some of her biggest influences are, and what she’s working on currently, please give a big welcome to our friend Clare Easdown!
Hey Clare, it’s so great to finally be able to chat with you and re-introduce you once again to our audience! Before we get into the nitty-gritty, could you tell us a little bit about your musical journey? What has led you to where you are today?
Hello there! Thank you so much for having me again. My musical journey began before I was born. My mother would blast Madonna when pregnant with me and dance around her living room. Then, at a very young age, my father bought me a violin, however, my arm hurt holding it up for hours trying to play it, so we switched to a cello as it’s played sitting down. This was my first introduction to music. I threw in the cello in my first year of high school, wanting to be a singer. Then, only roughly eight years ago now, I taught myself to produce music.
You are undoubtedly one of the most prolific musicians I’ve ever come across. By my count, your brand new tune ‘I Break’ is your 19th of the year so far! Does the entire “song-making process” come very naturally to you?
Oh wow, thank you so much. That really does mean a great deal to me. I have had a bit of a break from making music lately as I’ve had a spell of deep and dark depression. This is what led me to create ‘I Break’. I’ve realised that as an artist, sometimes it’s impossible to constantly churn out music, especially if you want to keep remaining authentic. I feel one needs to have poignant life experiences in order to feed into what message one wants to express.
Just staying with ‘I Break’ for a second…It’s pretty dark and melancholic if you don’t mind me saying. What does the song mean to you and who do you think needs to hear it most?
‘I Break’ is probably one of the darkest and most melancholic tracks I’ve ever worked on. In fact, personally, I find it really challenging and almost uncomfortable to listen back over now. It reminds me of all the dark feelings I experienced during a deep spell of depression. I really wanted to capture the depth of darkness one can feel when deeply depressed. I think anyone who has ever felt the dark depths of depression or knows someone who has can benefit from listening to this track. I want those who are in the thick of it to feel less alone. Sometimes knowing that another is experiencing or has experienced these dark depths can take some of the pain away.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Some of my biggest musical influences would be Grimes, FKA Twigs, Madonna, CHVRCHES, Sevdaliza and INIKO. Especially Grimes. I love that she is self-taught and I adore her production. Especially her earlier stuff that was created when she lived locked away in Montreal with no heat and frostbite. I deeply relate to her journey as I’ve often locked myself away for days at a time, burying myself in music production and barely seeing the sun.
When you’re not working on your music, what keeps you happy and busy? Walk us through a non-music day in the life of Clare Easdown.
That’s an awesome question! What gives me a deep sense of happiness, not to mention keeps me super busy, are my two younger children. They are the light of my life. I won’t walk you through every step because honestly, it wouldn’t be all that interesting haha. Being a single mother is quite a lot of life admin! My two children would definitely be what keeps me going though. I love them with my whole being and they give me a deep sense of purpose and happiness.
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a T-shirt?
That is the best question!
The lyrics I’d most like to see printed on a T-shirt would be from my single ‘To The One’s I Love’
“Your radio silence is violent”
This refers to being a misfit and being discarded by society. Being ignored by people is really confronting and that’s what that lyric refers to.
What are your goals for the rest of this year? Is there anything you’d like to achieve as a musician or, even on a personal level, this year?
My goals for the rest of the year are to pick up momentum and keep producing a tonne more music. I love it when I get on a roll and keep being productive. I’d also like to meet many more creatives in the field and hopefully collaborate with other artists.
Thanks so much for chatting with us Clare! Do you have any words of wisdom that you’d like to leave us with?
Thank you so very much for having me. Your questions have been very thought-provoking! Haha, words of wisdom hmmmm… Honestly, the only thing I think that’s really important is to be yourself. In all its messiness, in all its rawness. We are all just ‘human’ and feeling the dark feelings is simply just part of it all. If you feel depressed, use it to fuel you into creativity.
