Clarence Clarity breaks cover: “I’m itching to get out and play”

In the new issue of DIY (out Friday 27th February), hyped-up producer Clarence Clarity breaks cover and explains the story behind his mysterious early days.

With debut ‘No Now’ clocking in at twenty tracks long and his first foray into the live scene, a support slot on an already high-profile, thirteen-date Jungle headline tour looming, Clarence is set to expose himself like never before. Meeting him at his South East London rehearsal space, he’s ready to explain why now is the right time.

The room is littered with instruments and an amplifier hums in the background. Clarence excuses himself to turn it off, only for another piece of equipment to emerge from the black. “When I started, I just wanted things to be judged on their own musical merits and to start building this story, the Clarence Clarity world, and me working that out as I go,” admits Clarence. It’s an ongoing process as he pauses, ponders and considers himself several times.

“I’m itching to get out and play,” he says with a smile. “I drove myself mad making this album and it’ll feel more complete for it to exist in the world rather than in my head and my bedroom. If you’re expecting to come and see exactly what I’ve recorded, don’t bother,” he warns. He’s extended Clarence Clarity into a four-piece band of friends and is set to bring “out some of those elements that aren’t so obvious in the recordings.”

With no tangible beginning to Clarence Clarity, and a diary filling up with tour dates, single releases and potential collaborations, there’s no end in sight either. “The future hasn’t happened, it doesn’t exist and the past is a collection of memories that may or may not be real or true. So why worry about anything,” Clarence asks. “I’m equally excited and maybe terrified,” he admits of the upcoming dates. “I didn’t want to play for the sake of it. I’ve been waiting for it to feel like the right time and it is now.”