Bristol songwriter Clara Mann has returned with another golden folk nugget in the form of “Go Steady”, following this May’s spellbinding “Thread”. On the new track, she says:
“Go Steady is about letting go of the past, and standing on your own two feet, firmly in the present. It’s also a thank-you song to everyone who’s shown me love, and kept an arm around me when I’ve needed it.
“I used to be scared of letting go of things- of people, of stories from other times in my life- because I thought it meant leaving parts of myself behind, too, but I’ve recently realised that I’m happiest when I’m just being present in the Now. The marks those times left on me remain, but I don’t have to carry the whole of my story with me all the time, it’s heavy and it slows me down.
“After some very strange, dark times, Go Steady is a break in the clouds, and the closing of a chapter.”
That description, “a break in the clouds”, perfectly sums up the sound, heart and atmosphere of “Go Steady” – the shuffling drums, drips of piano and finger picked guitar create a low-hanging cloud, grey but gorgeous. Mann’s voice pierces through this fog both lyrically and melodically, as she sings out her newfound strength in silvery beams of determination. It’s a subtle new power she’s discovered; she’s not dismissing the past, but she’s realising that it can be compartmentalised, accessed only when desired or necessary. Leaving behind the things that tug at her heart opens up new vistas of the now, allows her to see and feel more clearly about her present, and, ultimately, will guide her to a brighter, better and more rewarding future.
Listen to “Go Steady” below or find it on streaming platforms.
“Go Steady” is out on 7476. You can find Clara Mann on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
