One of my favorite discoveries of this year has been The Clockworks, and it's been incredible to watch them grow at an unbelievably fast pace. A band founded and sustained on a work ethic stronger than most, the (mostly) Galway-born, London-based four-piece are using the intrepid voice they've developed to bring attention to the aspects of the world we live in that they find unjust. And they're starting to get too loud to ignore.
One of the many things that The Clockworks get completely right in each song is the narrative-driven slant of their lyrics. Rather than writing with ambiguity in mind, everything they release is specific and definite. Their latest release (also their last of 2020), "Enough is Never Enough," is a vivid depiction of the many failings of modern civilization. Having been written during a global pandemic that's seen thousands lose their jobs in a time when too many already don't know when their next meal will be, it's plain to see where the band drew their inspiration for the song from. Society fails the most exploited among them and proceeds to sweep them under the rug.
On the new track, lead singer James McGregor has said, “This was the last song we wrote in Ireland. I’d been working on the lyrics for ages. I like to write about the social or emotional by writing about a specific character or scene. I think focusing on the particular and the specific is the best way to get to the general and abstract… Musically, this song was all about getting the feeling right. We wanted it to be forceful and relentless but also for there to be enough space for melody and emotion.”
The Clockworks have been championed by BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac - so if you won't take my word for it that they're beyond comprehension, at least take hers. They can be found on Bandcamp, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Fingers crossed that the world will be a bit friendlier by May so that they can play Creation Day festival, presented by Toura Toura Festivals and Creation23.
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