2019 was a formative year for CLAVVS. The Brooklyn-based indie pop duo released their well-received No Saviors EP in March, just after a successful SXSW debut as one of NPR’s Austin100 Artists To Watch. The EP garnered millions of streams across platforms, while the duo played festivals and shows all over North America, including debuts in LA, Toronto, and Denver. Songs from No Saviors landed in shows like Netflix’s hit series You, Locke & Key, and in a Garnier Nutrisse commercial starring Mandy Moore. But perhaps most importantly, 2019 was a year of huge personal growth, clarity, and direction for writer/vocalist Amber Renee and multi-instrumentalist/producer Graham Marsh.These days, Amber and Graham are looking inward. They’re pushing further into the territory of brighter, slightly more joyful indie pop. This is evidenced in the songs on No Saviors and now on the deluxe edition, out February 25, featuring four new tracks, including single “Half Moon” and its accompanying video (the duo’s first).
“For a long time, I wrote about the past and wanting to change it. I wrote about my fascination with the future. It was like I couldn’t bare to just let things be,” offers Amber. “I’ve done a lot of introspection. Now I’m more present.No Saviors (Extended) is about reconciling the past and making the difficult choice to save yourself, even when it’s tempting to expect someone else to do it for you. Songs like “Slow Dive” and “Dark Thoughts” explore the necessity of moving forward, while “Lay Back” and “Half Moon” exist in the overlap between joy and anxiety, nostalgia and hope. “We wanted to push ourselves to bring some joy to these songs,” Graham explains. “I started playing bongos in our live show, which inspired me to take a much more organic approach to recording and playing in the studio.”“I feel more joyful. I feel more free in a lot of ways,” says Amber. “For the first time since we started the band, I don’t have to run off to a restaurant job between recording sessions and rehearsals. That feels good. It’s a privilege to be able to focus more of my energy on making songs. I'll never take that for granted.”
“Having that freedom now to work on CLAVVS full-time has really led to the growth of our sound,” Graham adds.
And while the mood of their music may change, one thing remains the same. “We’ve always been interested in making pop music that pushes the envelope,” Amber adds. “And for me, that means writing songs about my shortcomings, about the real things I’ve felt and giving voice to those complexities. But ideally in a really catchy way.”