Inspired by artists ranging from HAIM and Maggie Rogers back to Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow, Imogen Clark’s storytelling indie-pop is deeply personal and diaristic as her songs elevate intimate emotions to arena-scaled anthems. It’s a style which has enamoured a growing audience, leading to a 2022 AIR Award nomination for Best Independent Pop Albumfor ‘Bastards’ as well as collaborations with members of Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello’s Imposters, Gang of Youths and My Morning Jacket.
Now Imogen Clark is set to take her homeland acclaim to broader global audiences, starting today with the new single ‘Big One’ along with its accompanying video. Listen HERE. Watch the official video HERE. The track previews her new album ‘The Art of Getting Through’ which follows on May 31st and is available to pre-save HERE.
‘Big One’ sees Imogen Clark flavouring her surging alt-pop foundations with the impossible-to-ignore drama and infectiousness of classic ‘80s pop with the empowerment and vulnerabilities of the strident female singer-songwriters who made such an inspiring impact in the ‘90s. It’s an epic love anthem that stands as the centrepiece of her upcoming album, but as its attention-grabbing opening lyrics attest to, love can be a tapestry of intensity and confusion: “Tell me what’s the difference / Between a lover and a kick in the chest?”
Imogen says, “I wanted a song that was intimate and vulnerable but massive, as big sounding as the feelings I was writing about. I wrote it with Sam Phay in Melbourne, and I came in with the idea that had been growing in my mind, this hunger to be the big one in somebody’s life, the love that stays in their heart even if the relationship doesn’t last.”
‘Big One’ was recorded with Mike Bloom (Julian Casablancas, Jenny Lewis) at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, where The Beach Boys famously recorded ‘Pet Sounds’. The sessions featured bassist Gus Seyffert (Adele, Sia, The Black Keys) and Dawes drummer Griffin Goldsmith, with engineering courtesy of the five-time Grammy winner Ross Hogarth (Miley Cyrus, The Last Shadow Puppets).
‘Big One’ joins the recent ‘All Hard Feelings’ in building anticipation for the 13-track ‘The Art of Getting Through’. Recorded between Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Melbourne and Nashville, the album is the most ambitious artistic statement yet from an artist who is always challenging herself to push beyond her boundaries, an album about shouldering the weight of life’s baggage and power forward.
Imogen Clark is not just an artist; she’s a storyteller, a fighter, and a dreamer. She spent her teen years at Penrith High by day, playing Western Sydney bars at night, learning how to make her voice heard and honing her chops as an electric live performer. Today, she stands as a testament to transcending familiar boundaries, driven by her roots and an unwavering ambition that led her to stages across the globe. Her songs capture moments, memories, and confessions from her journey, battling anxiety and insecurity to fight for who she is and what she believes in. The AIR-nominated ‘Bastards’ EP followed her similarly acclaimed ‘The Making of Me’ from 2020, while her other early career highlights have included an ambitious 100 Shows in 100 Days tour as her annual Holiday Hootenanny shows.
Having toured with The Tallest Man on Earth last late year, Imogen Clark’s upcoming Australian shows include dates with The Sons of the East, INXS legend Andrew Farris and Robyn Hitchcock. Her entrancing talents in the live arena can be demonstrated with a full live band performance of ‘Big One’, which was filmed at Golden Retriever in Sydney.
