RELEASE SINGLE ‘ENDGAME’ AND ANNOUNCE DEBUT EP
Having started my career in the music industry by organising The Clockworks debut single launch at the Notting Hill Arts Club with ‘Bills and Pills’ it seemed only fitting that I should be the one to review their most recent and 8th single release to date ‘Endgame’.
That night in June in London 2019 was one of the most defining nights of my life. The place was packed to the rafters and as the band took to the stage, I received the news that the website selling the vinyl of the debut single had collapsed due to the sensational high demand. To be able to break this news to the lads and their families, wow that was an incredible moment.
As I stood at the front of the room witnessing the magic unfold, I knew there and then in my heart that I was witnessing history unfold and an overwhelming feeling of how incredibly honoured and proud I felt to say that I had played a small part in history. I knew there and then that this was one of those gigs that would go down in history as one of those “were you there gigs” Indeed, the comments in the following days hailed The Clockworks to be the “Saviours of Rock n Roll”.
We were a generation of disgruntled music lovers looking for the best next thing and in The Clockworks all of our prayers had been answered. They were new and fresh and exciting in the extreme.
Thereafter in the next couple of years followed the 2020 releases of “Stranded In Stanstead”, “The Future Is Not What It Was”, “Can I Speak To A Manager” and “Enough Is Never Enough” followed in 2021 with the releases of “Feels So Real” and “Throw It All Away”.
Today sees the Galway quartet return with an almighty bang following their American tour with legendary band PIXIES, with their first release of 2022 the sonic powerhouse that is “Endgame”.
This track is featured on what will be the band’s debut self titled EP – ‘The Clockworks’, which will be released on 1 April 2022.
‘Endgame’ is loosely inspired by the Samuel Beckett play of the same name and it is as literary as it is biting; it’s a song that grapples with the paranoia of losing your edge as the crushing cogs of time roll-on.
“We’re post punk // Post truth // Post Europe // Post Youth // Post modern // Post faith and God // and Post post too…” jibes frontman James McGregor in a loquacious tirade.
As self-effacing as it is cannily self-aware, the song’s complex character-driven narrative delivers a state-of-the-nation address from the shoes of the everyman, while also providing an opportunity for a hard look at ourselves.
Musically speaking, its 2 minutes 37 seconds of post punk commentary backed up with blistering instrumentals. The guitar work is insane, so intricate and tight and being in complete contrast with the simplicity of the vocals. The track builds and builds into a bubbling crescendo and then abruptly ends, leaving you screaming out for more and will have you hitting that replay button over and over again.
of the new track front man, James says:
“The idea for the lyrics was to have this character who’s a bit obnoxious playing a game of pool at the pub, and as the song progresses we get to peel him back and see that the game he’s playing is really against himself. The title, apart from relating to the game in the song, is a reference to Beckett’s play Endgame, which we thought touched on the themes/ideas/feelings of the song. I also liked the way that Beckett’s play had a through line of a chess game, like this song has a through line of a game of pool.”
A live fan favourite for some time, “Endgame” has been reworked and reimagined several times since its inception. While its words and sounds have evolved over time, its febrile chorus has always remained a constant. Completed in 2022, the end result is the sublime brilliance that we hear today.
With words by James McGregor, “Endgame” was recorded at Crouch End Studios by The Clockworks. It was produced & mixed by Michael Rendall alongside the band and Assistant Engineer Callum Parker.
“Endgame” is a potent first signal of what to expect from the band’s upcoming debut EP, ‘The Clockworks’ will feature four tracks in total including “Money (I Don’t Want To Hear It)”, “Feels So Real”, “The Temper” and of course “Endgame”.
Described by NME as “sh**-hot” and praised by CLASH for their “ferocious sense of purpose, with the careering post-punk guitar lines”, The Clockworks have unfurled a string of impeccable singles since their move to the UK gaining momentum which each new release.
Also hotly tipped by titles including The Guardian, The Independent, and Hot Press, the band have received frequent support from national radio stalwarts including BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac on her “New Names” showcase, BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq on his ‘Recommends’ show, and received day-time radio play on RTÉ 2FM, and impressed the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirius XM.
Impressing audiences across Europe with exhilarating sets at festivals including Eurosonic and Electric Picnic, a huge support slot at Sefton Park (Liverpool) with Kings of Leon, and a notable televised appearance on Sky 1’s Soccer AM; plus a number of UK support shows with The Reytons earlier this year, The Clockworks are now preparing to hit the road for a number of US & European shows and summer of festival appearances.
THE CLOCKWORKS – 2022 TOUR DATES
MARCH
19 – AUSTIN, TX (SXSW) – The Green Jay
25 – LONDON, UK – Moth Club
APRIL
20 – SCHORNDORF – Manufaktur
21 – COLOGNE – C/O Pop Festival
22 – DARMSTADT – 806m
23 – ERLANGEN – Etage 1
25 – MUNCHEN – Heppel&Ettlich
26 – DRESDEN – Beatpol
27 – BERLIN – Lido or Frannz
28 – HANNOVER – Cafe Glocksee
29 – HAMBURG – Molotow
MAY
7 May – BELFAST – Voodoo (supporting The Reytons)
10 May – DUBLIN – The Grand Social
12 May – BRIGHTON – The Great Escape Festival
16 – PARIS – The French Esplanade
17 – LILLE – L’Aeronef (supporting Sprints)
20 – AMSTERDAM – London Calling Festival
28 May – WOLVERHAMPTON – Creation Day Festival
JUNE
3 JUNE – PORT TALBOT – In It Together
JULY
22 JULY – STEVENTON – Truck Festival
Tickets on sale here now: https://www.theclockworks.band
Words by Sally Newman
The songbird 