Claud releases their third studio album Me and the Music via Dead Oceans.
LISTEN TO ME AND THE MUSIC HERE
Claud – Gay Witchcraft (Live at Electric Lady Studios)
Does everything have to feel so heavy all the time? The 10 songs on Claud’s rich and resplendent third album Me and the Music find the 27-year-old Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter-producer grappling with that question and coming up, triumphantly, with something close to an answer: Things can be heavy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Things can be heavy, but that beer in your hand isn’t—why not hold it aloft for a moment, sing along with the friends surrounding you, forget your troubles for the length of a perfect indie-pop song?
Me and the Music is Claud’s first album in three years, since 2023’s lauded sophomore album, Supermodels, and although it still fits easily into the established universe of Claud’s music, it also represents an emotional 180-turn from what came before.
On the album, Claud says, “I was just sick of taking everything so seriously—Supermodels was such a serious record, and I just sulked in feelings for so long. Such terrible things have happened in this country the last few years, but I’ve only grown closer to the people around me because of that. The world has shown me that the worst can happen, but it might just bring you closer to your community. There’s a difference between being sincere with life and taking life too seriously.”
Album opener ‘Gay Witchcraft’ describes a new relationship as a feat of both magic and resilience, establishing early on this album’s openness to hard feelings and its fighting spirit. Its title comes from a book Claud and their friends often joke about, which suddenly seemed gravely serious. Watch Claud perform ‘Gay Witchcraft’ live at Electric Lady Studios HERE.
Co-produced by Claud and John Congleton (Alvvays, St. Vincent), the album also marks a milestone in Claud’s evolution as a producer. As encouraged by mentor Jack Antonoff, they take on a more hands-on creative role, crafting a sound that is both expansive and unmistakably their own. The album was also largely written at the famed Electric Lady Studios with singer-songwriters Hank Heaven and Annie DiRusso.
Me and the Music also sees Claud reuniting with their longtime collaborator Dan Nigro. ‘The Legend,’ a song they wrote together for this record, is one of the earliest to appear on the album. It explores the feeling of being deeply in love with someone who doesn’t want to be seen with you, says Claud: “It’s sort of about a shitty relationship, and wanting to flaunt love, but not being able to do that,” they say. “I just loved the song, and I had to keep it on the record.”
Early singles from the album include ‘I Owe You‘ and ‘She Doesn’t Love Me‘. The latter track casts America as a toxic girlfriend, and that metaphor comes to life in the accompanying music video – WATCH HERE. The video’s final scene features cameos from fellow Shelly members Clairo and Josh Mehling as well as Samia, Annie DiRusso, Hank Heaven, Josie Strick, Sammy Steiner, Harrison Allen, and Camille Johnson.
CLAUD
Me And The Music
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