DON’T HAVE A COW MAN!

The Cult Scottish Singer/Songwriter CHARLIE CLARK is set to release his first track “Don’t Have A Cow Man!”on the 5th February 2021. It is due to be the first official release on Alan Mcgee’s brand new imprint “IT’S CREATION BABY” . Indeed the official word from Mcgee is that he decided to regenerate his existing CREATION23 LABEL into ITS CREATION BABY so that he could start to release albums under the label, his first of which is going to be Charlie Clark’s first solo album, “Late night Drinking” which will be released later in 2021.

One of Scotland’s best-kept musical secrets, Charlie Clark is a multi-talented singer/songwriter, musician, and promoter who first found success as a founding member of acclaimed Glasgow indie-pop band Astrid although he has had many other musicals endeavours spanning the last two decades including being a member of The Reindeer Section and his solo projects Broken Arrow and MJ12. Clark has also been a session musician to the likes of Mogwai, Arab Strap and Snow Patrol.

Of the debut single “Don’t Have A Cow, Man!” Clark says that this was written at a time when he found himself facing a major crossroads in his life whilst battling a growing addiction. Torn between a new life in the States and a family crisis in Scotland, the track finds Clark facing up to his own demons and the make-or-break choices laid out before him. Speaking about the single, Clark says:

“I wrote the chorus of ‘Don’t Have A Cow, Man!’ just before moving back to Scotland from Los Angeles and finished it in Stornoway… I came home to help care for my father who was terminally ill so I had some serious s**t to get together.”

The track has a sunshine melody interlaced with a sense of melancholy. Its a classic pop record on the surface with a good groove the ability to make people dance! Clark says “It’s a slice of indie-pop definitely inspired by more 60’s style pop. I hope people see it as a positive message as obviously, I chose to live!”

From that we can see that “Don’t Have A Cow, Man!” is clearly a song of honesty and openness. Indeed the whole album contains tracks that sees Clark going on a metaphorical journey and opening up on a variety of themes that have led him to recovery. As Clark explains:

“I honestly had no intention of making an album but when I moved back from LA permanently I wrote 11 songs that told a story like a journal. 10 years of living in California, the breakdown of a relationship, losing my father, relapsing after a decade of abstinence, working for 7 years at Harvard & Stone in LA. The only venue I’ve worked at where the staff are more rock n roll than the bands. The songs told that story and there’s a very positive message underneath it all of hope and love.”

The album “Late Night Drinking” features Clark’s former band mate from Astrid, Willie Campbell on vocals, Calum Buchanan from The Sea Atlas (on “general weirdness”), and his brother Kevin Clark of The Broken Ravens on drums. The album has been produced by Jason Shaw from Cambodian Space Project and was mastered by Mark Gardener from RIDE.

Charlie Clark has already received praise from industry insiders including John Robb from Louder Than War who has said:

“His recordings are full of beautiful, haunted melodies and stripped down plaintive acoustic beauty. Feel Something follows the themes that have dominated his musical journey so far but with the added sunshine and smog of LA mixed into his muse.” 

As said above, set to be the first release on Alan McGee’s new imprint It’s Creation Baby, Charlie Clark releases his debut full-length solo album ‘Late Night Drinking’ later this year and the debut single, “Don’t Have A Cow, Man!” is available from 5th Feb 2020.

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Words by SALLY NEWMAN