Clever Girls are an indie rock band from Burlington, Vermont, led by songwriter Diane Jean. Following a couple of singles (including last year’s ‘Spark’ a song which we described as “at times soft and unassuming but always edged with something darker”), Clever Girls have announced a new record, Constellation, which is being released on Richmond, VA label Egghunt Records.
Clever Girls recently unveiled a brand new single from the album. Titled ‘Baby Blue’, the song dials back the raucous bite of ‘Spark’ in favour of raw sentiment. Jean says it’s “about the absolute euphoria that occurs when love and emotional safety are reciprocated in the face of loneliness,” and the track glides effortlessly between a sense of solitude and one of connection. Subtle guitars sparkle and swirl like thoughts in the quiet of an empty room, while the beat that kicks in after the chorus sounds uncannily like the intimate thump of a human pulse.
‘Baby Blue’ was initially written three years ago, but wasn’t recorded until early 2020. It has since taken on renewed meaning, recalling what Jean describes as “the darkest days of the pandemic” in the spring of 2020. “I spent all of May, while Vermont was still very much on lockdown, in complete isolation with the exception of my cat,” they explain. “It was exactly the type of experience that the song was born out of in the first place—feeling isolated, and cut off from the world even when it was still turning—if not on fire—outside of my door.”
[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2937134045 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=2978344125]
Constellations is out on 20th February on Egghunt Records and you can pre-order it now from the Clever Girls Bandcamp page.
Cover photo by Kay Dargin