Following on from his 2017 LP entitled ‘Quodlibet’ and single ‘It’s Too Late’ (2018), Greg Clifford offers up an anthemic summer song in the form of ‘Burn Me, Break Me & Build Me Up’. Comfortable in an array of styles and genres, Clifford shelves his classical and experimental musical tendencies in favour of out and out synth driven indie alt-pop rock. The track, engineered by Ian Flynn of Workhouse (recorded in Musicland Studios London), makes a virtue of retro effects such as chorus and slap-back guitars, reminiscent of The Smiths and The Cure.
Clifford explains that a John Donne sonnet entitled “Batter my heart, three-person’d God” inspired the semi-autobiographical song:
“I studied the poem a number of years ago in school. It resonated and lingered in my mind. I always found myself drawn to the line ‘break, blow, burn, and make me new’. Although a vicious, volatile image the overriding outcome is positive. The protagonist is so desperate for change that he longs to be broken down and remoulded. For me, through honesty and objectivity one can reshape themselves using the preexisting components to find a stable place of contentedness… We have the capacity to change at all times… to emerge as new, or like new, like a phoenix rising from the ashes”.
The video, directed, shot and edited by Greg and his father Dave, (CLIFFORD CLIFFORD Productions), is an abstract representation of the subject matter, which conveys ones journey into self-improvement.
Clifford plays The Cobblestone (Smithfield, Dublin 7) Saturday 15th June to mark the release of his latest offering. Doors are 9pm and entry is €6. Tickets are available to purchase on eventbrite.com.
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