For newcomers and latecomers alike, there has been no better introduction to the piercing talents of rising artist and songwriter de clair. than her recent debut EP, hiding mountains in the palm of my hand. With notable praise for her ability to delicately push the boundaries of folk, de clair brings forth songs that tackle life’s big questions: love, friendship, sadness, hope, gratitude, loneliness, and the journey from youth to adulthood—while daring to confront the raw truths of it all.
Today, de clair returns for one final moment in 2024 with her most intimate offering yet, the new single seatbelt. Stripping back her sound to its gleaming bones the song was recorded in a single take, live in an industrial space in Kuldīga, Latvia, showcasing her flawless talent for poignant lyricism, seamlessly fused with a minimalistic aesthetic. The single is paired with a mesmerising live video filmed at the time.
Speaking about her new single, de clair explains, “What you hear was recorded in one take, and it was also the first time I sang the entire song, which influences how it sounds—it feels like it was created specifically for that room.” and “seatbelt is about seeing others, but also slowly realising that you yourself are not seen—neither by yourself nor by others. It’s like looking through an old family photo album and not finding yourself. Sad, but not uncommon, I think. This time, we mixed through a tube compressor instead of tape. During my time in Kuldīga, I wrote a lot of new music, but the process around ‘seatbelt’ was special. It was unexpectedly high summer, the last of the year when I was there, and I swam in Europe’s widest waterfall and hung out with Mikael’s dog, Lester.”
At the tender age of ten, de clair, whose real name is Clara Rudelius, embraced the guitar before transitioning to a black grand piano that awaited her in the living room. Inspired by musical luminaries like Nico, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Björk, de Clair’s songwriting embodies a unique fusion of indie, alternative, and folk, using lyrics as a vehicle for her music.
Marking a pivotal moment, a serendipitous turn of events in October 2023, de clair received an unexpected call while en route to a birthday party. Sub Pop‘s waterbaby invited her to perform as the opening act for the tour finale in Stockholm that very night. With no rehearsal or sound check, de clair entranced the audience, garnering a growing legion of fans eager to encounter her enigmatic talent.
Let us know your thoughts on X (formely Twitter) @SceneLGBTQ and @DaleyPopScene and follow de clair. on her socials HERE and stay tuned for more music coming from de clair in 2025!
