{"id":2044039,"date":"2026-07-14T14:12:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T11:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2044039"},"modified":"2026-07-14T14:12:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T11:12:47","slug":"cliffords-talk-working-on-a-refined-debut-album-its-all-about-that-contrast-of-life-that-we-keep-living-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2044039","title":{"rendered":"Cliffords talk working on a \u201crefined\u201d debut album: \u201cIt\u2019s all about that contrast of life that we keep living through\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cliffords@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-2576840\" class=\"post-2576840 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68 featured-video-container wpb_row td-pb-row tdc-element-style\">\n<div class=\"tdi_67_rand_style td-element-style\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"wpb_video_wrapper\">\n<div id=\"jwplayer-video-mPbKzifJ\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>News<\/span><i class=\"tdb-bread-sep td-icon-right\"><\/i><span>Music News<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Cliffords talk working on a \u201crefined\u201d debut album: \u201cIt\u2019s all about that contrast of life that we keep living through\u201d<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>The rising Cork band also tell us about comparisons to Wolf Alice, supporting Florence + The Machine, and why they will continue tackle heavy subject matter in their lyrics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Liberty Dunworth<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-14T15:12:47+01:00\">14th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- .\/block --><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span8\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_87 article-content-row vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_89  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_90 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_90\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Cliffords have spoken to <em>NME<\/em> about new music, and revealed that they have a \u201crefined\u201d, inward-looking debut album on the way. Watch the interview in full above.<\/p>\n<p>The NME 100 alumni caught up with us backstage at Mad Cool 2026, shortly before they took to the stage in the Mahou Cinco Estrellas tent for one of the most memorable sets of the week. Their appearance at the 10th anniversary of the Madrid festival came as part of a stacked summer of live shows for the Cork band \u2013 having already supported Mumford &amp; Sons at BST Hyde Park and opened for Florence + The Machine\u00a0over the past week alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all been a crazy experience,\u201d said frontwoman Iona Lynch. \u201cIt was also so amazing just to watch Mumford &amp; Sons, [and] we are obsessed with Florence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just were saying actually that we all had this mutual experience where your dad calls you in after two IPAs and he says \u2018Let\u2019s watch Florence + The Machine play Glastonbury\u2019,\u201d she joked. \u201cI\u2019ve had that many times in my life, so to actually open for her was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DavgrDyDADg\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The busy summer of touring comes following Cliffords releasing their debut EP \u2018Strawberry Scented\u2019 in 2024, and following it up last year with their critically acclaimed EP, \u2018Salt of the Lee\u2019. Towards the end of 2025, the band released the standalone single \u2018Marsh\u2019, but have yet to follow it up with any new material.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re working on a new project right now,\u201d keyboardist Locon O\u2019Toole revealed to <em>NME<\/em>. \u201cAfter this little run we\u2019re going to be in the studio recording some new music which will hopefully be out soon. Maybe it\u2019s time for a full album\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so exciting going into it because we\u2019ve spent so many months writing,\u201d he added. \u201cWe had such a massive year last year and basically this year we just locked ourselves in a small room in Blackpool and wrote from 9am to 5pm every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lynch added that the majority of the writing has been done between Cork and Blackpool over the span of four months, and explained that the heavier themes of mental health seen in the single \u2018Marsh\u2019 will be prevalent throughout the upcoming debut album too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I\u2019ll always do that. Writing lyrics for me is really fun because it\u2019s the only time I get to understand myself. When you\u2019re writing, you can see yourself on the page after a while,\u201d she shared. \u201cThen it\u2019s so nice to play a gig because you see people singing it back and it also means so much to them. It makes you realise how close we all are as people and how much your experiences are also someone else\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this album deals with lots of things. Good, bad, sad, and all of the above. I think that\u2019s why I love it so much. It\u2019s all about that contrast of life that we keep living through.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve put a lot of work into our sound too,\u201d bassist Gavin Dawkins added. \u201cWe\u2019ve really refined our sound on this album\u2026 so hopefully it\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As well as playing a run of festivals across Europe this summer, Cliffords also went on to join Wolf Alice in Newcastle this past weekend for a huge show at Exhibition Park. Speaking to <em>NME<\/em> about how they felt about the then-upcoming gig, Cliffords revealed that they have always been fans of the London rock giants, but only just started to realise why they have been compared to them so many times over the past two years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a dream support slot. We\u2019ve always loved their music,\u201d Dawkins said, before Lynch added: \u201cIt\u2019s funny, ever since we started as a band, basically every article has compared us to Wolf Alice. We\u2019ve been listening to them for so long and they are such a big inspiration for us\u2026 but we were never 100 per cent sure why there was always the comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just see it as \u2018We will aspire to be that incredible\u2019. They\u2019re amazing, and it\u2019s so lovely to watch them play and to listen to their music. Their energy and songwriting is just incredible, so I just can\u2019t wait to open for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can revisit all of <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s coverage from Mad Cool 2026 here.<\/p>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_91 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_91\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Cliffords<\/li>\n<li>Indie<\/li>\n<li>Rock<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_93 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<div id=\"taboola-below-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_95  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_97  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div 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class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Bonnie Tyler, 1951\u20132026: raspy-voiced Welshwoman who captured \u201cwhat rock\u2019n\u2019roll is all about\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Assassins-Creed-Black-Flag-Resynced-Remake2-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Assassins-Creed-Black-Flag-Resynced-Remake2-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">\u2018Assassin\u2019s Creed Black Flag Resynced\u2019 review: a treasure chest of sea-faring adventures<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-\">\n<div class=\"td-image-container\">\n<div class=\"td-module-thumb\"><span class=\"entry-thumb td-thumb-css\" data-type=\"css_image\" data-img-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-grandad-credit-xander-lewis-400x254.jpg\" data-img-retina-url=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/little-grandad-credit-xander-lewis-800x508.jpg\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Little Grandad: the alt-country band speeding towards stardom<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td-a-rec td-a-rec-id-custom_ad_1  tdi_105 td_block_template_2\">\n<p><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-sidebar-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>                    <span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span>                <\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_90 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_90\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Cliffords have spoken to <em>NME<\/em> about new music, and revealed that they have a \u201crefined\u201d, inward-looking debut album on the way. Watch the interview in full above.<\/p>\n<p>The NME 100 alumni caught up with us backstage at Mad Cool 2026, shortly before they took to the stage in the Mahou Cinco Estrellas tent for one of the most memorable sets of the week. Their appearance at the 10th anniversary of the Madrid festival came as part of a stacked summer of live shows for the Cork band \u2013 having already supported Mumford &amp; Sons at BST Hyde Park and opened for Florence + The Machine\u00a0over the past week alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s all been a crazy experience,\u201d said frontwoman Iona Lynch. \u201cIt was also so amazing just to watch Mumford &amp; Sons, [and] we are obsessed with Florence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just were saying actually that we all had this mutual experience where your dad calls you in after two IPAs and he says \u2018Let\u2019s watch Florence + The Machine play Glastonbury\u2019,\u201d she joked. \u201cI\u2019ve had that many times in my life, so to actually open for her was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DavgrDyDADg\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The busy summer of touring comes following Cliffords releasing their debut EP \u2018Strawberry Scented\u2019 in 2024, and following it up last year with their critically acclaimed EP, \u2018Salt of the Lee\u2019. Towards the end of 2025, the band released the standalone single \u2018Marsh\u2019, but have yet to follow it up with any new material.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re working on a new project right now,\u201d keyboardist Locon O\u2019Toole revealed to <em>NME<\/em>. \u201cAfter this little run we\u2019re going to be in the studio recording some new music which will hopefully be out soon. Maybe it\u2019s time for a full album\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\">\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s so exciting going into it because we\u2019ve spent so many months writing,\u201d he added. \u201cWe had such a massive year last year and basically this year we just locked ourselves in a small room in Blackpool and wrote from 9am to 5pm every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lynch added that the majority of the writing has been done between Cork and Blackpool over the span of four months, and explained that the heavier themes of mental health seen in the single \u2018Marsh\u2019 will be prevalent throughout the upcoming debut album too.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think I\u2019ll always do that. Writing lyrics for me is really fun because it\u2019s the only time I get to understand myself. When you\u2019re writing, you can see yourself on the page after a while,\u201d she shared. \u201cThen it\u2019s so nice to play a gig because you see people singing it back and it also means so much to them. It makes you realise how close we all are as people and how much your experiences are also someone else\u2019s experiences.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this album deals with lots of things. Good, bad, sad, and all of the above. I think that\u2019s why I love it so much. It\u2019s all about that contrast of life that we keep living through.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad2 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span>  <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-article-2\" class=\"lazy-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve put a lot of work into our sound too,\u201d bassist Gavin Dawkins added. \u201cWe\u2019ve really refined our sound on this album\u2026 so hopefully it\u2019s good!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As well as playing a run of festivals across Europe this summer, Cliffords also went on to join Wolf Alice in Newcastle this past weekend for a huge show at Exhibition Park. Speaking to <em>NME<\/em> about how they felt about the then-upcoming gig, Cliffords revealed that they have always been fans of the London rock giants, but only just started to realise why they have been compared to them so many times over the past two years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a dream support slot. We\u2019ve always loved their music,\u201d Dawkins said, before Lynch added: \u201cIt\u2019s funny, ever since we started as a band, basically every article has compared us to Wolf Alice. We\u2019ve been listening to them for so long and they are such a big inspiration for us\u2026 but we were never 100 per cent sure why there was always the comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just see it as \u2018We will aspire to be that incredible\u2019. They\u2019re amazing, and it\u2019s so lovely to watch them play and to listen to their music. Their energy and songwriting is just incredible, so I just can\u2019t wait to open for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can revisit all of <em>NME<\/em>\u2019s coverage from Mad Cool 2026 here.<\/p>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/cliffords-interview-debut-album-wolf-alice-florence-and-the-machine-mad-cool-2026-3956786&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cliffords@2000&#215;1270.jpg&#8221;] NewsMusic News Cliffords talk working on a \u201crefined\u201d debut album: \u201cIt\u2019s all about that contrast of life that we keep living through\u201d The rising Cork band also tell us about comparisons to Wolf Alice, supporting Florence + The Machine, and why they will continue tackle heavy subject matter in their lyrics By [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2044039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2044039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2044039\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2044039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2044039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2044039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}