Artist Of The Week #263 - de clair.
This week’s Artist of the Week is Swedish artist de clair. - who has just released her debut EP ‘hiding mountains in the palm of my hand’.
Sweden has a longstanding lineage of impressive artists who have left an indelible mark on the UK music scene, pioneering genres and inspiring audiences to expect more from the mainstream. Rising artist and songwriter de clair. is a talent poised to follow in their footsteps, with the release of her debut EP ‘hiding mountains in the palm of my hand’ - out today, on The Satchi Six.
The EP debuts alongside highlight ‘Funeral’. Possessing an evocative elasticity, the single both self-produced and co-produced by Jens Resch peels de clairs’s sound to her gleaming bones, as pristine guitars interlock with intertwining vocals and elegant strings. The official video skillfully directed by Josef Ingmår serves to deepen the emotional resonance of the song's poignant reflection on the loss of friendship.
She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there de clair - how are you? So your debut EP is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Hi! I’m good, thank you. It’s been such a long journey, and I’m so glad that it's finally out. I've been working on some of these songs since 2019, so the record represents an important era in my life. It means so much to me to release my first collection of songs like this.
It's called "Hiding Mountains in the Palm of My Hand" - what is the meaning behind that?
I know what it means to me, but three weeks ago, my friend shared his interpretation, which was also interesting. Therefore, there are now two known meanings behind the title: 1) Holding important decisions and life-changing choices in your hand, carrying a heavy burden. The second one is that you have everything you need inside yourself - all the life-changing decisions, answers, capability and power. You hide all that, like mountains, in your hands. It can be forgotten and hard to see, but it’s there. (The second one is my meaning.
Where was it recorded? Any behind-the-scenes stories from the creative process you're happy to share?
It was recorded in different studios around Stockholm. Some songs were recorded by me in my first-ever studio here and at home; others were recorded in Jens Resch's (my co-producer on three of the songs) beautiful studio in Stockholm. "peace of mind" was recorded together in Daghem’s studio, as well as over Skype with Mikael Landén, who lives in Riga; he’s also the mixing engineer on the record. I remember when I recorded some of the vocals at home back in the day; I used to sit with my green duvet jacket over my head, trying to get a cleaner sound. I also turned my wardrobe into a singing booth for a while. I like that simple kind of recording. If it’s a bit noisy, but the feeling's right, I’d rather go with that take. Later on, it was inspiring to work with Jens in his studio. I remember feeling so inspired and glad not to be alone in the process anymore. I like to write the songs by myself, but the recording/producing part of the process was fun to share with others this time.
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
I would say the key themes are friendship, sadness, injustices, love, life choices, youth, and growing up. It was funny because I didn’t realise that until I listened to the whole record in one take a couple of weeks ago. I would say the lyrics exist within a specific radius, which was kind of an epiphany to me. But that's how life often is, I guess, that we think we know what we're doing, only to understand it later on.
If the EP could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Hmm... Maybe "Juno"? It was the first film that popped into my head at least. Perhaps because it has that nostalgic feeling. I loved it when I saw it back when I was 10 years old, so when I think about it now, I think of youth, relationships, and growing up. And also, it’s... indie. I need to re-watch it, I think.
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP - if so, which one and why?
I would say "funeral" and "the man" are the two lyrics I’m most proud of on the EP. Both of them flowed out of me, and they both portray life-changing decisions in different ways. I worked hard on refining the lyrics, and I remember adjusting every word until it felt just right.
Now that the EP is out there - what's next?
I’m going on a Spring tour, so far only in Sweden. I hope I’ll get to play in the UK someday. And then I’m going to continue releasing music, hopefully something before summer. I just want to keep making music and playing live.
