Clara Mann embodies well-crafted contradictions, embracing restlessness, finding a sense of home wherever she goes, and merging music with visual art. With a diverse background that includes visual artistry, time spent in rural France and southwest England, and classical piano training, she has extensive creative resources. However, music wasn’t always viewed as her inevitable path.
“I’ve been drawing for much longer than I’ve been writing songs – only in the last five years have I started writing songs – while I’ve been drawing since I was very young; it’s what I love the most,” she shares.
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Although she still creates visual art for herself and as part of her overall creative process (with some visuals featured in her upcoming debut album), her primary focus has shifted to music. Growing up surrounded by music (listening to American singer-songwriters like Paul Simon, Iris DeMent, and Aimee Mann, along with numerous French artists from the 50s and 60s), her own musical expression developed slowly out of teenage restlessness. At 17, feeling bored and discontent with school’s social dynamics, she began exploring beyond her immediate surroundings.
"I would take the bus from Cheddar Gorge to Bristol… called The Falcon, which seems quite mystical. You never really know when the Falcon will arrive – will it show up? Maybe not,” she reflects. “Anyway, I’d hop on that bus to see whatever was happening. My good friend and I simply adored live music.”
It was that friend (currently making music as Watch Paint Dry) who inspired Mann to start creating music herself.
“I went home, grabbed a guitar laying around the house, and thought, ‘I’m going to write a song now.’ And that was that!” she recalls.
Her initial songs were recorded using an old laptop’s built-in speakers and uploaded to Bandcamp; her natural talent was evident, and it wasn’t long before she gained attention within the networks she cultivated at gigs, leading to her signing with indie-label Sad Club Records and advancing her career.
“I didn’t take it seriously for quite a while. It was like being in a relationship where you hold back... then a year later, you think, ‘OMG, we’re going to get married forever and move to a cabin in the woods; this is my great love!’ That’s how I felt about songwriting – it was something unexpected that entered my life.”
Mann’s philosophy is distinctly independent and focused on the present; a strong contemplation of the moment radiates through her “almost-folk” music, particularly in her evocative debut album ‘Rift’. Coupled with this is her desire to communicate the deep emotions she experiences.
“I can’t write about anything that isn’t personal to me… it’s fundamentally about communication. You’re conveying ‘I feel this. Do you feel this? Witness me, understand me!’ I think the need to be understood drives you,” she explains. “My desire to express these feelings stems from wanting others to hear and relate to it. It’s an exchange; so in a way, I’m writing for an audience, knowing the songs will be listened to... but it remains very personal.”
In her live performances, Mann aims to balance the intimate nature of her work with her desire for connection, illustrated through a poignant metaphor.
“It’s like being in a swimming pool, submerged, gazing at the lights above. You feel aware of the world outside but remain in your bubble,” she describes. “It’s a way to experience solitude on stage, internally. Music is meant to be shared, and I crave the energy from the crowd, which emerges from our shared feelings. That connection is truly beautiful; it’s what music represents.”
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In her writing approach, Mann aims to safeguard her deeply personal craft.
“At its core, my project is a solitary endeavor. I write alone,” she elucidates. “Songwriting is an incredibly personal act. As a young woman, I believe it’s essential to protect that creative practice.”
She also incorporates other facets of her artistic expression to inspire and aid her musical journey.
“I establish a routine where I play frequently, write lyrics, and draw, so I’m in the right mindset to welcome creativity when it strikes, enabling me to express it through songwriting,” Mann explains thoughtfully. “Being receptive is crucial; if you’re emotionally frazzled or overwhelmed, you can’t be open to inspiration. Thus, I aim to clear my mind through drawing and writing.”
This methodical, introspective process has culminated in her first full-length album, ‘Rift’. The concept of the album arose from her encounter with a profound and instinctual hope.
“To me, ‘the rift’ symbolizes a dark valley, a space devoid of anything familiar or remnants of the past… In that place, there is something within us propelling us forward,” she states. “I must escape this space, though I’m uncertain about what lies ahead. I can
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