NEWS
Glasgow five-piece Cloud House are releasing their second EP ‘Still Here’, a collection of seven songs tackling themes of grief, hope, resilience, childhood struggles, longing, loss, and personal growth. Sonically it sees the band finding their stride with an expansive, stadium-ready sound.
There are certain bands who possess the remarkable ability to capture the human experience with raw honesty and undeniable emotion. Cloud House is one of those bands.
‘Still Here’ was written and recorded shortly after the loss of lead singer Conor’s mother, who died after a long illness. He says,
“She was given three years to live twenty years ago. My mum would always say to me whenever anything weird happened - ‘you have to use this in a song’, she always taught me to take inspiration from my life so when she died, it was natural for me to create a lot of the songs on this EP.”
The band revealed two of the songs from the collection already earlier this year, including title track ‘Still Here’ and the driving ‘Don’t Wanna Talk’. The EP opens with ‘Photographs’, a soul-stirring stomper of a song, acting as a complete overview of Conor’s mum. The song was inspired by the realisation that his flat was covered in pictures of her, and wanting to capture her memory forever.
Conor explains:
“This song is about the absolute powerhouse she was. A woman who exceeded all expectations that people set upon her. She was an absolute superhuman. The lyrics depict the story of us, and how she refused to accept what doctors told her. She told me she was going to be here for me and get me through growing up. She did and then some; we had a life together. ‘Photographs’ is raw, honest and open in every possible way. It's her life laid bare for all to see and it's a story I hope people will resonate with.”
Cloud House formed in a hot tub in 2019, but it was a dream in the making for much longer for the five musicians, Conor, Patrick, Jack, Calum and Morgan. Their empowering, relatable songs are the result of an eclectic collection of tastes. Conor knew he wanted to front a band very soon after singing to a packed arena at a Green Day gig in 2010. Aged fifteen. Yes, that really happened. TWICE.
The band members' individual musical journeys have shaped their unique sound, with each member bringing their own eclectic tastes to the table. Loss and grief is a topic close to the band’s heart, and their new EP is anchored in the subject. It’s this raw, honest emotion that has made the band’s music so relatable, and a fact that they only realised playing one of these more recent songs live.
Callum explains,
“At a gig, we played one of the songs Conor had written about s mum. It happened shortly after one of my partner's friends had tragically lost her mother to cancer. The song resonated with her so profoundly that she was moved to tears. She was determined to meet Conor, and she still recalls that moment to this day. Additionally, I recently discovered that a family friend, who was like an uncle to me during my younger years, his dad had actually passed away on the same day. Despite this, he attended the gig too, describing it as cathartic. I love nothing more than listening to an album and thinking, this is like my thoughts. I would love it if people feel that about us."
This cathartic experience is something the band hope will carry through the entire EP and into all of their live shows. Patrick explains,
“So many of our songs are about breaking free from something, or trying to help someone else. Most of our songs are about trying to help someone else through something, or to see the bigger picture…there's definitely a theme of wanting to be bigger than you are.”
Through their music, Cloud House capture the raw essence of the human experience. Their melodies become a powerful vessel, carrying the weight of their shared emotions and providing solace and understanding to their listeners. As their reputation continues to soar, the band find themselves on the cusp of greatness.
'Still Here' is out now.
Listen HERE @cloudhouseband
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