Glasgow-based twin-sibling duo Cloth (Rachael and Paul Swinton) are excited to announce the release of Secret Measure for May 5, their first full-length release on Rock Action Records (Mogwai, Arab Strap, The Twilight Sad) following the four-song Low Sun EP. The album was produced by Ali Chant (Yard Act, Katy J Pearson, Squirrel Flower).
Accompanying the announcement Cloth have unveiled lead single ‘Pigeon’. A deliberately bold creative step forward, the spellbinding ‘Pigeon’ sparks comparisons to Cocteau Twins, with vocalist Rachael’s warm, hushed tones interweaving seamlessly with Paul’s sparkling guitar lines and washes of synth, marking a perfect entry point to the themes and stylings of Secret Measure.
Paul says of the track: “With ‘Pigeon’, we set ourselves the challenge of writing a bold, infectious bop which retained some of the slightly jarring, dissonant elements which always excite us and feature in a lot of our work. The song was born from one riff Rachael wrote which we both fell in love with and, through its development, ended up becoming one of the defining songs of the record. Big splashes of analogue synth – a world we fully embraced for the first time on this album – underpin a driving pop song which lyrically examines the importance of teaching yourself to try and be okay with the unknowns of the future, even if things seem uncertain and overwhelming in the present.”
Alongside, the band have also released a visual for ‘Pigeon’, directed by Bristol’s Clump Collective. Clump Collective described the video creative process: “It’s always great collaborating with bands like Cloth – where we feel comfortable to pitch a bizarre concept and they’re willing to let us run with it. After our initial meeting, we were all set on a narrative involving pigeon figurines and tiny red boots – going really on-the-nose with the concept… but we kept coming back to the smoky, romantic image that the vocals evoke. The idea spiralled, and a combination of the two was born.
“Determined to create an accurate 80s power-ballad video – we spent afternoons watching Billy Idol and Orchestral Manœuvres In The Dark videos, studying soft slighting and slow fades, discussing what kind of haircut is most flattering on an avian head, and where on it’s neck a pigeon might tie a bow.“
Secret Measure:
- Secret Measure
- Pigeon
- Never Know
- Lido
- Ladder
- Ambulance
- Another
- Drips
- Money Plant
- Blue Space
