An Introduction to Claudine
With the upcoming release of their first EP, the “soft-psych” Bristol based 5-piece band Claudine is heading to 12 Bar this Friday to perform their set synth-centred, storytelling setlist.
With the upcoming release of their first EP, the “soft-psych” Bristol based 5-piece band Claudine is heading to 12 Bar this Friday to perform their synth-centred, storytelling setlist.
In its themes, their music pools from the deep, dark waters that are working in a corporate office; each track strings loosely as an ode to the existential dread of working in a corporate world and a caricature of the big personalities of small-minded bosses. What began as fury fuelled post-work walks home between founding members Sophie and Ryan soon crystallised into a wealth of work-weary material. Work mates cum-room mates cum-bandmates, this is a fresh though thoroughly well-lived-in collaboration.
Their debut EP ‘Live in the Garage’, as befits the name, is recorded live featuring three songs – what you hear is thus what you get. Where trying new music can seem daunting, taking a risk has never needed less of an assessment – their featured track “Slow Burn” lives up to its name, taking the time to settle into the song, to improvise with expansive instrumentation within a considered structure. Alternatively, “Playlist” thrums with the angst of monotony. Both their set and EP will not shake you down with empty corporate promises but will instead offer an honest and unfiltered introduction to their sound.
So, what can you expect from an evening with Claudine? Better ask Big Jeff. When attending Claudine’s first gig, beloved local Bristolian celebrity Big Jeff (who is estimated to have attended over 4,00 gigs in the area), coined their set as “soft psych”. Soft psych in this case describes the interplay between the soaring synths and tumult of the internal monologue of ‘psych’ with all the softness of the sax and moody melody.
Beyond the soft and the psych, however, Claudine is crafting a cohesive sound, drawing from the melded sounds in Cate le Bon’s most recent album Michelangelo Dying , to make you wonder where the saxophone starts and the synth ends. Claudine’s tracks begin with clarity, with a narrative and a melody that linger before evolving into layers of synth-infused ambiguity.
Who knew existential dread could sound so good?
