“It pinches my heart to be alone with my thoughts of you / When you leave me, will you still love me? / I’m addicted to you,”Clementine Creevy softly confesses on the opening track of her band’s fourth studio album, I Don’t Want You Anymore. It’s been four years since LA’s Cherry Glazerr fed fans a full-length project, but the group hasn’t been using their time in vain. Creevy says that IDWYA carries some of her most raw, personal music to date, as she’s filled this absence by “Taking a hard look at myself, at my relationships, and writing about it.” Whereas it has been said that Cherry Glazerr’s second and third full-length records projected anger and angsty sadness, respectively, the “Soft Like a Flower” singer allowed herself to crack through her hard-candy shell to reveal the soft-ish center she’d tucked away.
Yves Rothman’s co-production helps to balance Clem’s new-found vulnerability with the rough, punchy sound that Glazerr fans have come to follow. The same can be said about the way Sami Perez’s bass seems to slide behind the singer’s vocals like a warm hug on a cold day, most notable on the album’s second single “Ready For You.”
If 2017’s Apocolipstick put the band on a national map, then IDWYA solidifies Creevy’s current ascent into notoriety.
mxdwn: All right. So hey, everyone. My name is Antara Holloway. I’m with mxdwn.com, and I’m interviewing Clementine Creevy from Cherry Glazerr. Thanks so much for being here.
Clementine Creevy: Of course.Thanks for having me.
mxdwn: All right. So in an interview with Paper Mag a few years ago, you agreed that your Apocalipstick project was your “angry album,” while your Stuffed and Ready album was the “dark and sad project.” What feelings would you say are elicited from your fourth album, I Don’t Want You Anymore?
CC: I definitely feel like this record was like me coming back to my roots a lot, and kind of reminded me of my first album in a lot of ways. Like Apocalipstick, was my second and Stuffed and Ready was my third. And this one really reminded me of Haxel Princess, which was my first one, where I feel like the way I structured the songs was a lot more sort of free. The structures within the songs kind of have a sort of openness to them. I feel like that allowed me to just kind of, like, sit in the feelings of them a lot more, and that reminded me a lot of my first record. I guess you could say it was like, maybe “vibier” than I’ve been doing in the past.
mxdwn: “Vibier.” I love that. I’m gonna steal that. So, kind of going off of you saying, you got to kind of sit in your “feels” a little bit more. I know Apocalipstick got the rap as the angry album, and then some of that anger kind of spilled into Stuffed and Ready. But then when we get to I Don’t Want You Anymore, your feelings, your lyrics feel a bit more soft, and there’s more longing in them. “Because I’m addicted to your love / I’d die for you,” sounds way more romantic than vexed. As someone who writes deeply personal lyrics, what would you say was the catalyst for this shift?
CC: I definitely was writing about certain relationships that I was in, I mean, I am kind of a romantic, and I can fall really deep into those feelings.So, a lot of it had to do with, like, how I feel and how I work with myself within those romantic relationships. And so, I mean, I hate to say it, but it was a lot about boys.
mxdwn: That’s okay! That’s okay! Okay. So, diving deeper on your storytelling through lyricism, you mentioned that the album’s second single, “Ready for You” is about pushing people away because you’re kind of scared of hurting them with your own baggage. Were you writing from a place of personal experience, or simply trying to capture the feelings of your audience as a whole?
CC: I think that what you just said about what it’s about is really accurate. I’m writing a lot about this fear that I’m still really working through, which is, what you just said–hurting people with my own baggage. Trying to not see myself as, like… you know, having the ability to do that, and just trying to accept my flaws, my issues as a human person. And I do have a really deep-seated fear that I’m hurting the people around me because of certain stuff that I haven’t finished working through within myself. And yeah, that song is really about that, it’s about trying to grapple with that whole idea. I think, recently I’ve allowed myself a little bit more grace. And you know…I have a lot of friends around me who have recently told me that I could never do that, and that I don’t have, like, the power to do that, and that everybody has shit that they’re working through. And so I feel really lucky for them and for, you know, the fact that I have a lot of lovely people in my life. But that song’s definitely about working through the sort of feeling… kind of being afraid of hurting people that way. It’s a little bit of a nervous ease that I have. But yeah, that song is really about working through those feelings. I’m happy that lately I’ve been able to kind of work on that part of myself a little bit more.
Yes, you know, what I’ve learned is that, like, you’re actually not that powerful babe [laugh].
mxdwn: You’re like, “you’re not that girl.”
CC: You’re not, you’re not like, you’re okay!
mxdwn: So it sounds like it was written out of personal experience, but then also, it just happened to capture the feelings of a whole population of people. I feel like that’s usually the goal of musicians. So, when you write your music, who do you most often find yourself speaking to through your lyrics?
CC: I mean, honestly, I’m mostly speaking to myself a lot of the time. Like, for me, writing and music making is really therapeutic. Mostly, I’ll be writing something and the words will kind of come out of me, and then I’ll listen to it the next day or something, and it’ll help me figure out how I’m really feeling inside. So I think in a lot of ways, it’s kind of like a journal, where I’m speaking to myself and, like you said about relatability, I think that that can create a lot of relatability. When you see someone else’s journal and you’re kind of like, “whoa, so we’re all having these feelings and thoughts,” that’s really amazing and cool. That always just amazes me when people are able to relate to those things that I’m feeling as well. So that’s cool.
mxdwn: I also think it’s super cool. It’s also just funny that the title of your album is “I Don’t Want You Anymore,” but then, as we mentioned, the track list is just riddled with deep feelings and longing and being in love. So I’m just kind of wondering, what was your thought process when you were coming up with the name for this album? Was this juxtaposition intentional?
CC: So, yeah, the title is actually directed at myself. It’s sort of my idea of other people not wanting me around. And so “I don’t want you anymore” is actually directed towards me and myself. Kind of how I was explaining before… a lot of my insecurities and feelings. I felt like that would be the perfect title to sort of relate that anxiety.
But it’s funny, because I always come up with names for stuff last. Like, I never think about the titles and the names of stuff. And the label was like, “Clem, we really need a title for the album.
Like, we have to start working on it. We have to start putting it together and we need the title. We need the name.” And I was like, “It’s coming! It’s coming”
mxdwn: You’re like, “Wait for it! Wait for it!”
CC: They’re like, “We need it!” And I was like, “Okay, okay, okay, it’s coming. It’ll come to me.” And then they were all freaking out. I was in my car, and that was a line in a song that I heard on the radio of this really old song that was playing. I can’t even remember the name of it or what it was or something, but the singer said, “I don’t want you anymore.” And I was like, “Oh! That’s so cool and beautiful. And, perfectly encapsulates how I’m feeling, and this sort of anxiety in this, like, really simple and direct way, which I love. And then I was like, “Okay, boom, I got it!” Which is how my titles have always come. They’ve always been very…they just click to me and usually sort of towards the end of the record making process. So I was like, “All right, guys, I got it. I got it.” And they were like, “WHEW!”
mxdwn: So the music came before the title. The album was pretty much done, and all you had to do was basically, like, wrap it with this cute little bow, and it was I Don’t Want You Anymore.?
CC: Yes!
mxdwn: I love that. I was not expecting that answer.
CC: To the dismay of Secretly Canadian, my label.
mxdwn: No, honestly, they probably, like you said, were just relieved that it even got in at that point. So your last album release took place four years ago, maybe a little bit over four years ago now, and a lot can happen in four years. What have you and the band been up to during that time? Is there anything that you guys learned over that period that was put into this album?”
CC: I mean, we did a big tour with Portugal The Man, which was cool. That was maybe two years ago now, but it was a stadium tour, which was cool. We’d never done that before. And it was funny because they were in two massive buses, and we were in a little van, chasing them around the country, showing up to the stadiums in a tiny little van. That was just a cool experience to be able to play some of the biggest venues in the country that you can play. And I feel like he gave us just like, I don’t know, a really cool sort of idea of how big a show can be. And so that was just rad, and we played Madison Square Garden. And that was just like, an epic experience. And, like, really, really fun. So being on tour is really cool. I think it’s how bands really prosper.
And I mean, it’s fucking hard. And you don’t sleep, and you basically don’t sleep for a month because it’s just like, you’re working so much, but I still really love it. And I feel like some of my best memories of being in a band are always on tour. I just love how close you can get with the people who you’re traveling with. The whole experience is amazing to me and always really inspiring because I feel like it actually makes this whole thing feel very real and creating that connection with people in real life is awesome. So just playing shows, doing that big tour, is mostly what we were up to.
And then I was working on the record for a while and I had been doing tons and tons of sessions with producers and other artists. Then I finally did this session with Yves, who was the producer on this album. We did one song together, and I was like, “Yves is so cool.” He totally gets the vision, he had done a bunch of stuff, which I really loved. So I was like, okay, I love that Yves’ doing my record. And he was just so kind. And was really just down to help me fulfill my vision. Yeah,I don’t know, I love him. I love working with him. Shout out Yves. So that’s how I found Yves, then he was like, “I’m down to do the whole record.” So we started on that, and then it took us a little while. I probably was working on the record for like six months to a year.
And then we kind of put it together slowly over the course of that time. But I’m glad it’s finally out.
mxdwn: We’re glad it’s finally out! It really does sound like you put a lot of work and love into this album. That kind of leads me into my next question, because I know that you’re involved in a lot of the moving parts of your album creation process, from you singing the lead, to playing guitar, to doing the synths and even some of the production. Where do you tend to draw inspiration from as you create all of these sounds for your music? And do you have different points of inspiration for each component of the process?
CC: Totally. I’ve been doing this thing recently where I’m really inspired by certain production and sounds and vibes. So, I definitely was, like for this album, I really love the way these certain songs sound, production wise so let’s start there. So a lot of where I was coming from with this was production based. I feel like there is definitely…we were thinking a lot about, like, The Cure, but then also, some, early eighties stuff and early alternative stuff. So that was coming through for sure. We were definitely trying to do that style of production.
So I definitely started with a lot of production ideas for this album, but it’s funny because I’ve actually sort of started doing the opposite for the new stuff I’m working on now, where I’m really trying to focus on the song itself and not worry so much about the production. And trying to start at the basics and the foundation and make sure that the song sounds good on an acoustic guitar. So,yeah, I’m always like that’s a cool thing. I feel like I’m always growing in another direction with every step that I take, like making new records and stuff. But production probably was like, the biggest inspo.
mxdwn: That’s kind of crazy, because even though I think this project sounds different than your other albums, now I’m like the next project is probably gonna be just out of the water, like out of left field. Like, “Oh my gosh. Who even knew she had this in her bag?”
CC: Yeah, you never know.
mxdwn: No, no, apparently we don’t! What was your favorite track to record from this album?
CC: I really loved doing the title track. That was one of my favorite songs on the album, “I Don’t Want You Anymore.” We–that was actually the first one that I did with Yves, and we recorded that one first. I just really love the way that turned out. Like I wrote it, I started it on this synth that I have, which is like my baby. It’s like a Korg PolySix synth from the eighties. I just love the way it sounds. It’s really unique. I started the song on that synth, and then everything kind of filled out from there. And we kept it in the song, but we really built off from that.
So, the whole song kind of grew from that, and it didn’t even become like an essential part of it anymore, but I really love that track, and that was one of my favorite ones to record. We did a ton of guitar tracks on top of it, it just grew into this, this thing that ended up being one of my favorite songs on the album.
mxdwn: And the title track, so there we go. Is there a song you’re most excited to play live?
CC: That’s a good question. I love playing “Ready For You.” I feel like I just–I love Sami’s bass line on that song. I also love her baseline on “Soft Like a Flower.” That one goes nuts for me, and she’s always–my bass player, Sami–she’s like a shy queen. And every time she’s playing that song, I’m like, “Yes, Sami! Yeah!” and she’s like, “Oh, no! Stop, stop!”
mxdwn: [Laughs] Oh no, not you embarrassing her!
CC: [Laugh] I literally live for it. But I just go nuts for it, I love that bassline. And yes, “Soft Like a Flower,” is one of my favorite songs to play for sure. I’m excited to do that one on the road.
mxdwn: Okay! I’m excited to hear it! So, I know that you guys are kicking off an eleven-leg tour at the end of February, and this album obviously sounds a little different than the last two. So can it also be said that this tour will carry a different vibe to it than what fans may be used to?
CC: Yeah, definitely, like how I was saying about it being a little “vibier.” We have a lot of cool ideas for the show and I can’t wait to bring it to life. We’re playing as a four piece. A lot of synths and a little visual show that we’re creating. So, yeah, it’s definitely gonna be different than the ones in the past.
Like on the other tour for Stuffed and Ready, it was a little bit… really sort of loud and boisterous. I wore a lot of yellows and pinks. This one is a little bit moodier, I think, but it definitely still has a lot of intensity and heart. So I think it’s just bringing those two things kind of together.
mxdwn: Well, I’m excited to see how that goes!
CC: Yes! So excited to perform!
mxdwn: What stop are you most excited to come to?
CC: I mean, this is basic, but I just love playing in LA. Hometown shows are my favorite. The fans rule. LA all day. I’m just like a shameless LA lover. I just like, don’t care.
mxdwn: Same, same, okay? And I want everyone to know when I go to other places. I’m like, “I’m from LA. We don’t–we’re a little different over there.” [Laughs]
CC: Haha. Dude, same. But I don’t even care. People like to get mad about it, and I love it. I’m just like, you’re just mad guys.
mxdwn: You’re just upset because we have 60 degree winters. Sorry.
CC: True. I can’t wait for the hometown show. And then also, Brooklyn will be awesome too. So, can’t wait to play in New York, as well. And that’s the last stop. So it’ll be like closing the show out in New York, and that’ll be really fun.
mxdwn: Grand finale kind of vibe?
CC: Exactly.
mxdwn: I love that. All right. So we have made it to the last question, unfortunately. I know you’ve considered yourself to be a feminist since the age of 17, and you’ve mentioned that being a feminist and being so awake about everything around you can get exhausting. How do you feel like your personal form of feminism has changed as you’ve gotten older and continue to make art surrounding this topic?
CC: That’s a really good question. The way I feel about it is like, you know–the definition of feminism is like women and fems having, you know, political and economic stability and equality. I think that’s such a basic idea, that everyone should be on it. And it’s so weird to me that people wouldn’t agree with that. It’s just like the idea of giving humanity to everybody. And it’s crazy to me that anyone would think otherwise, I guess. But that’s like me being a little like, “LA bubble” maybe. I’m just like, I can’t even conceive of it, the idea of someone not being down with that philosophy but like you know, I think that will always be true to me. And I just, I fucking love girls, and I will always stand for them. And I love seeing art made by women and fem people, and I just think it’s so fatiguing to constantly ingest art made by men. I think it just gets fucking boring after a while.
So, you know, I’m always just down to support girls and women, and you know, arguably, that’s the best art. That’s where, you know, the real shit is. So I’ll always do that, and I think that will always be very true to who I am as a person.
mxdwn: Nice. Do you feel like the kind of feminism that you adopted, like when you were younger, is a little different than how it is now as an adult?
CC: Maybe, yeah, in a way. In a way, I think it’s more nuanced. Now, I think like–I don’t know, I definitely feel like it’s not too different. I still feel very deeply in my heart and have the same values that I did back then. So it’s honestly not that different. I think maybe just now, there is a part of me that wants to show myself more than rather just talk about things. And I think that that can be, like, such an effective way of really pushing forward those concepts, just trying to embody them and trying to kind of live my life the way I wanna see it. So I think I try to do that now, first. You know, try to walk the walk, and not just talk to talk, I guess.
mxdwn: And honestly, I love that you’re living by that philosophy, and that’s all we can really kind of hope to do is– we’re living what we’re preaching. So, yes. Thank you so much, also, for having this interview with me, you were actually awesome, and I freaking love you. And I wanna wish you all the best on your tour.
So, this has been Clementine Creevy from Cherry Glazerr and Antara from mxdwn.com.
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