Alasdair MacLean is the lead vocalist, lyricist, and guitarist for The Clientele, which also features James Hornsey on bass and Mark Keen on drums.

According to a press release, MacLean drew inspiration for “Claire’s Not Real,” partly from the brightness of a distant forest fire. “I was in Cercedilla, Spain, during the summer of 2020,” he explains. “There was an abrupt ash rain and orange glow on the horizon, and I read on my phone that Vila was engulfed in forest fires. This moment was incorporated into a number of tracks on the album.”

Previously, The Clientele shared the album’s first single, “Blue Over Blue,” via a music video. “Blue Over Blue” was one of the Songs of the Week that we highlighted. The band then released the second single from the album, Dying in May, which was also one of our Songs of the Week.

I Am Not There Anymore is the band’s first new album in seven years, succeeding 2017’s Music for the Age of Miracles. Due to the pandemic and the band’s desire to experiment in the studio, recording sessions for the new album began in 2019 but took a while.

In a previous press release, MacLean claimed that post-bop jazz, contemporary classical, and electronic music have all influenced the ensemble. “None of these things were able to find their way into our sound in any way other than fleetingly, leaving only the faintest trace.”

The passing of MacLean’s mother in the summer of 1997 with her postponed grief emotion served as inspiration for the lyrics to I Am Not There Anymore. He stated that the album is about “the memory of childhood but also the impossibility of truly remembering childhood… or even knowing who or what you are.”

The Clientele Tour Dates:

Fri. July 28 – London, UK @ Rough Trade East
Wed. Aug. 9 – Somerville, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre
Thu. Aug. 10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
Fri. Aug. 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
Sat. Aug. 12 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
Sun. Aug. 13 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Tue. Aug. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Thu. Aug. 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Fri. Aug. 18 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy and Harriet’s
Sat. Aug. 19 – Big Sur, CA @ Fernwood Tavern (inside)
Sun. Aug. 20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Tue. Aug. 22 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Wed. Aug. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern