{"title":"The Clockworks","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"exit-strategy-2","title":"Exit Strategy","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter an extensive tour of the UK at the end of 2022, the band decided to head into the studio to record their first long form offering. Following a passion for storytelling, they pulled together influences from Pulp Fiction to Fleabag, from Zadie Smith to Edward Hopper. They wrote relentlessly during 2022, diligently crafting what was to become this debut album. Released independently on their own Life and Times Recordings, \u003ci\u003eExit Strategy\u003c\/i\u003e is a 13-track labour of love, recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Love Electric, enlisting the production smarts of Bernard Butler. The album is in two halves (divided literally by the two sides of the vinyl edition) entitled Galway and London and presents a multifaceted band, pushing themselves and exploring the the limits of their philosophy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eExit Strategy\u003c\/i\u003e centres around a protagonist who moves from Galway to London in search of meaning, certain that, as the main character in the film of his own life, the solution lies in changing his surroundings and acting as someone he’s not. Both a mirror and a portal, the album promises encounters with manipulative bosses, evil ad agencies, a broken pact to flee to Australia, run-ins with the law, cheating boyfriends, drug fuelled youths, heartache, paranoia, social media anxiety and a drunk singer dressed as Jesus. Thematically the album races between emotions, between irony and sincerity, between soul searching and tongue-in-cheek finger pointing and ends where it all started, both musically and in terms of single rollout, with the nostalgic\/euphoric first single Westway.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExplaining the album’s genesis and cinematic influence, James McGregor says: “We were always sure we wanted the album to be greater than the sum of its parts, so decided to create the world of a film, entitled Exit Strategy. We envisaged the record as a series of snapshots, telling the story of a group of characters trying to navigate through life.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHallmarked more by a philosophy than a sound, The Clockworks weave pop sensibilities with noisy, post-punk, rock-influenced stylings. The songs seem swaggering and dark yet often have an epic, nostalgic quality. They sit poetic introspection beside witty, kitchen sink drama to create something intense but playful. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the release of \u003ci\u003eExit Strategy\u003c\/i\u003e, The Clockworks have created a world to be explored, to be analysed and to be deciphered, but most importantly to be felt.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Life and Times Recordings","offers":[{"title":"Yellow LP | Signed Copy","offer_id":50409559851339,"sku":"2120775","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50940029960523,"sku":"2230674","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50409559753035,"sku":"2120774","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3281eb8a-34b0-7b58-d890-df9ba571ae4f_bb5ef078_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726618819"},{"product_id":"the-entertainment-dc","title":"The Entertainment","description":"\u003cp\u003ePairing snarling kitchen-sink commentary with insuppressible sonic tenacity, The Clockworks are a band to savour in these dark days. Formed in Galway City, Ireland James McGregor (vocals\/guitar), Sean Connelly (guitar) and Damian Greaney (drums) went to school together there and met Tom Freeman (bass) on the music scene. Relocating to London in 2019, the quartet signed to Alan McGee's new record label 'Creation23' almost overnight. They have since impressed audiences across Europe with live performances at festivals including Rock Werchter, Eurosonic and Electric Picnic, performing to a huge crowd at Sefton Park in Liverpool in support of Kings of Leon, as well as a head-turning televised appearance on Sky 1's Soccer AM. Media have been quick to show their support too plus previous singles, taken from their 2023 debut \"Exit Strategy\" received praise on BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac on her \"New Names\" showcase, BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq on his 'Recommends' show, received day-time radio play on RTE 2FM, and impressed the legendary Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirius XM. The four-piece are drawn together by not only a mutual appreciation of music past and present but also a love of films and books, notably the ones on the more 'noir' side of the spectrum. You could say Arctic Monkeys got them into a band, The Strokes showed them how tightly you could distil it and Radiohead showed them how wide you could take it. But these days there not afraid to also put Billie Eilish and Charlie XCX into that mixture and films from director Fellini to \"Drive\". What matters is that from starting out playing acoustic folk, that turned into 3 minute (post-)punkish songs, they now have expanded a lot from there, taking in all the experience they have now recording and touring. Pushing the emotion by being authentic and creating what you really want despite the noise and haste around you.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"V2","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":56683782570315,"sku":"R4315-4976","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Crystal Water","offer_id":56683782603083,"sku":"R4315-9683","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8717931355100.jpg?v=1772552260"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/the-clockworks.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}