YAMA RAMA

INFLUENCERS MUST DIE

One of Scotland’s best kept musical secrets, Charlie Clark is a multi-talented singer /songwriter,musician, and more. First rising to prominence as a founding member of acclaimed Glasgow indie-pop foursome Astrid, Charlie has been a pro-active presence in the underground music scene for over two decades. From his role in Scottish supergroup The Reindeer Section to his own projects Broken Arrow and MJ12, Clark has earned a cult status amongst public and peers alike, becoming a go-to guest musician to the likes of Mogwai, Arab Strap and Snow Patrol in the process.

Charlie Clark spent some time recording music as a solo artist in 2021 releasing several tracks under renowned music mogul, Alan McGee’s Creation Records label.

After reforming Astrid for some new music and a whistlestop tour at the beginning of 2022, 2023 sees Charlie Clark revved up with a new found passion and a rediscovered purpose to start making the music again that he loves the most. Charlie is ready to bare his soul with his brand new band project YAMA RAMA. With Bob Dylan Influenced vocals and The Cure style riffs, Yama Rama’s songs are personal, honest and raw, like they are springing straight from the pages of a diary. The band’s aim is to let you into their emotional state and let their listeners know that they too are not alone in their darkest days and that love is ever present.

Yama Rama is made up of Charlie Clark on lead vocals and guitar, Christopher James Johnston on Vocals and Guitar, Mark Makay on Bass and Billy Hudson on Drums.

Having recently signed to the ever expanding Bubblebrain Records last month, Yama Rama have now released thier debut single on the label entitled ‘Influencers Must Die’

‘Influencers Must Die’ is a tongue in cheek title to a song that looks at the society in which we live where so many are seemingly influenced to do, say or buy things because a paid influencer tells them to do so or as so many musicians seem to be doing these days focusing more on the social media stats than the music itself, turning themselves into comedy actors on the likes of TikTok in the hope to influence people to listen to their music rather than promoting their music. Influencers Must Die is a track that sets to redress the balance and to keep it all about the music.

With fuzzing guitars and fast paced drumming coupled with determined vocals breaking down into chanting, rousing chorus hook lines, Influencers Must Die is an extremely catchy tune that will resonate with many and will no doubt only seek to further cement Charlie Clark and Yama Rama into their musical cult-like status.

Charlie has said of the single himself:

“Influencers Must Die” is a response to the obsessive nature of social media and its effects on everyone, including myself. It’s tongue is firmly in its cheek but it’s hard to know if I’d feel the same way about The Velvet Underground or The Doors if they were sharing every mundane aspect of their life on TikTok…….

I love the mystique about a lot of the music I listen to. It’s simply about the music and not personality overload.”

In it’s first week of release the track has attracted attention and plays on the likes of Radio X with John Kennedy, XS Manchester with Jim Salveson and Amazing Radio with both Jim Gellatly and Charlie Ashcroft, pointing very much to a notion that Yama Rama are going to be a band to watch out for in 2024.

Influencers Must Die was recorded and produced by Jason Shaw (Cambodian Space Project) at Fuzzface studios in Largs.

The track is also accompanied by a b-side cover version of ‘Drunk As Fuck’ taken from an original track by @matthewteardrop

Previous Praise for Charlie Clark
“A superb piece of jangle pop classicism, it seems to reference everyone from The Byrds and Big Star through to Teenage Fanclub” CLASH

“His recordings are full of beautiful, haunted melodies and stripped down plaintive acoustic beauty.” JOHN ROBB, LOUDER THAN WAR

“Immense choruses and deep heartfelt lyrics that serve to tighten the throat and quicken the pulse. It is vital and organic music: guitar driven indie pop at its very best” BACKSEAT MAFIA.

Listen to ‘Influences Must Die’ here now