Artist
Miriam Clancy
Singer-songwriter Miriam Clancy burst onto the New Zealand music scene in 2006 with her debut album Lucky One and hasn’t stopped since. She has forged her own way as an independant artist with a rare passion and determination and has earned accolades from some of this country’s most seasoned critics and the hearts of many new fans. Now, with comparisons to Feist, Cat Power, Martha Wainwright and Ryan Adams, a stunning first album, a whirlwind of great publicity and serious label interest in Los Angeles and Nashville – Miriam Clancy is set to make her mark on the international music scene.
Born in Auckland, from age six she grew up in Foxton well away from the music hubs of the country. Clancy comes from a musical background – her Croatian mother and Irish father both played in bands – and artists like Pink Floyd, Little Feat and Janis Joplin were the soundtrack to her childhood. With a laugh she’ll admit she wrote her first song at age six (“It was about my teddy bear!”) but she always knew her life would be in music. She studied classical piano but her musical tastes were shaped by The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and the songs of Prince. Leaving school at 16 to join a rock band and sing covers in pubs throughout the lower North Island led to fusion jazz/soul bands in Wellington, corporate bands in Auckland, and headlining in clubs as a torch singer in Kuala Lumpur. Miriam then returned to Auckland to trade the spotlight for a guitar, writing her own songs, and performing them in intimate original venues such as Queen Street’s legendary Temple Bar where she played almost every week for over a year.
Many songs later, Miriam left for Los Angeles with a demo CD and hit the ground running, performing at singer-songwriter showcases, resulting in the long standing question “with such talent why haven’t you got an album out yet?” – this time from respected LA music executives and managers – so she came back to NZ, booked in to York Street Studios and six months later she did – Lucky One.
With the release of Lucky One, Miriam headed straight into a 25-date tour throughout the country and within five months had clocked up accolades of: “Concert Of The Year” and “New Zealand’s answer to Martha Wainwright. She is destined to go places.” (Steve Scott, Waikato Times), “It’s hard not to hear (‘Dry Your Eyes’ and ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’) as among the best songs Chrissie Hynde never wrote.” (Russell Baillie, New Zealand Herald), “...beautifully beguiling, bare to the bones” (★★★★★ Mike Alexander, Sunday Star Times).
To top that all off Miriam was hand picked to play support for revered singer-song writer Ron Sexsmith. 2007 started with Lucky One being selected as one of the best albums of the year, alongside the likes of Bob Dylan, The Killers and Thom York in the New Zealand Herald and this was quickly followed up by a number of requests to perform at special events and festivals, along with exclusive live television performances and interviews on TVNZ, Juice TV and C4. She has been the focus of numerous full page and cover features in music, fashion and culture magazines and newspapers, and due to popular demand Miriam and her band spent the month of May on a special New Zealand Music Month nationwide tour.
In August the first track “Girl About Town” from Lucky One was nominated for New Zealand’s most prestigious song-writing trophy, the Silver Scroll Award, and in October Miriam headed back to the US with a stack of impressive reviews, and a fantastic album for back-to-back meetings with record labels and publishers.
While in the States, Miriam was interviewed and welcomed as “the next biggest thing to hit Nashville” on popular nationwide GAC TV show, “Edge Of Country”; her video for “Girl About Town” is in rotation and gaining great response and was selected to feature at Midem 2008, her music is playing on indie radio in New York (“The Indie Revolution Radio Show”), and she has also been interviewed for Japanese and Australian Press and Radio as well as interest from journalists for Q and Mojo magazines in the UK.
In her short time back home a special Anzac documentary “Night After Night” featuring a song by Miriam Clancy and Whirimako Black will be aired, as well as her gorgeous vocals alongside Dave Dobbyn on his anthemic “Welcome Home” for an LG TV commercial. The producer liked her voice so much they have asked her to sing on a new version of the song for Dave’s forthcoming album. Miriam was also chosen to open for double Grammy winning US band Wilco on their New Zealand shows at the end of March.
Future plans include a return trip to the States around August to help keep momentum going there and a highly anticipated new record is in the pipeline.
“With (Lucky One) her stunning debut album, Auckland’s Miriam Clancy has immediately claimed her place in the long Kiwi tradition of great singer-songwriters.” Graham Reid, elsewhere.co.nz
“a pearler of an album... there are flashes of influence from artists as broad as Al Green and Ryan Adams. Clancy has a strong voice and a musical style that sits across the divide between alt-country and pop.” Steven Shaw, spareroom.co.nz
“It’s a beautiful album. Clancy has a sweet, powerful voice and her music has hints of rock, country and pop. A girlie version of Elliot Smith or Jeff Buckley – a soul laid bare, but with a pretty twist.” Josie Steenhart, Pulp Magazine
“She’s just as impressive brooding elegantly through another break-up or shouting the house down” Russell Baillie, NZ Herald
“A rare talent that will knock your socks off live!” Roger Marbeck, Ode Records
“You haven’t heard of Miriam Clancy? Well maybe you’d be forgiven, but perhaps not for long.” Andrew Tidball, cheeseontoast.co.nz
Purchase Miriam’s music from Amplifier, CD Baby or iTunes, then visit her official site or her MySpace page or her YouTube channel.
Solemn Brigade from ‘Lucky One’ Play