Column: Debut album launch for Kirkcaldy singer-songwriter

Lock down has been devastating for musicians as we know, but it extends further in as much that very few music lessons have taken place also.

Mike Clerk is a Kirkcaldy singer songwriter, but makes his living teaching guitar and this is very much hands on with chords and picking strings.

Limited ‘online’ instruction has meant more time for writing new songs and now a whole new album worth has been created but unrecorded.

In fact, his first album is yet to be released but at least is ‘in the can’ ready to go when the time is right.

That album will be The Space Between My Ears and so far, only the first single has been released. Thoughts Of Fools is released in all platforms tomorrow (Friday).

Mike plays all instruments layer by layer before Alan Ramsay engineers the final mastering.

Although all live promotions, launch gigs and tours are off and prohibited it has given time to plan the release when restrictions are lifted and schedule a video yet unedited.

All this came about as his old band finally dissolved. They were The Lost Generation, and had reasonable success touring Europe and even the USA.

They were well received with regular shows at Alan McGee’s Death Disco and NME Club, but the inevitable split happened when it seemed the trio had run its course.

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In Scotland shows at King Tuts Glasgow, the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh and Backstage at the Green were particularly good when looking back.

So, now a solo artist he produced some Lockdown Covers on video with his own versions of favourites and even attracted some obscure requests.

Add to that new acoustic songs which may well surface in another project. To fund the first single Mike started a GoFundMe campaign and after a single posting on social media reached £2000 in under twelve hours and soon made £4000 showing the demand for his new material.

It was then he called a halt to the funding as the target was reached and the process could continue with all funders credited accordingly.

With no gigs there will be no CDs or vinyl so for the moment it is a download only. The single concerns aspects of mental health and indeed the whole album will reflect the subject which nobody wants to talk about.

Like a storyboard the struggles are explored in three acts and all in the same indie-rock vibe.

Always a difficult subject matter and with the months of isolation only now beginning to ease this new music will bring comfort to many and music to be enjoyed.

https://smarturl.it/MikeClerkTOF

www.facebook.com/mikeclerkmusic

www.youtube.com/mikeclerkmusic

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