MONIQUE CLARE RELEASES NEW SINGLE ‘IN THE QUIET’
Imagine falling in love with someone on the other side of the world just as the borders are closing. You’ve found the one. You’ve dreamed up and planned out your life together. Then a radio sound bite hits you like a ton of bricks one morning, as they announce: you can't enter or exit Australia. You’re separated by an ocean, for who knows how long.
Brisbane folk-pop artist, Monique Clare faced just that. The Covid-19 pandemic has seen thousands of families and partners stranded on either side of the Australian border. But for Monique, being separated from her partner has lead to an unexpected opportunity for artistic expression.
Her gentle, immersive new single, In The Quiet nestles itself perfectly into the landscape of 2020, capturing the essence of missing someone far from home..."a memory of your smile, melts through the room, and all too soon, is gone for one more while". With soaring cello lines woven through a texture of serene choral voices, Monique carves out a musical reverie to get lost in. Her lyrics speak to the ruminations of her generation and dive deep into the universal experiences of love and loss.
With her relationship now hanging by a thread, worn down by 8 months apart and the pressures of a global pandemic, a travel exemption is finally granted. Monique explains: “The process for getting an exemption to leave the country is emotionally taxing, inconsistent and full of unknowns. It’s bittersweet when you get approved because you’ve read stories from so many other Australians who have compelling, heartbreaking reasons to leave but continue to get denied. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing because these closed borders have helped us manage as a country, but I’m part of the group of people who have paid an extraordinary price for that to happen”.
The accompanying music video is a heart-warming and intimate travelogue that follows Monique's journey across the ocean to be reunited with her partner. It offers a glimpse into air travel during a pandemic, from an eerily quiet check-in, to non-existent queues and over 24 hours in a face mask. “I wanted to document this pivotal moment in my life. I’m an artist and storyteller; it’s what I do. It feels scary to share such a personal story, but I find when I let myself be vulnerable with my music, it can open up closer connections with my listeners”.
After releasing previous singles, You Are and It Works earlier this year, In The Quiet is the third single from Monique's forthcoming debut album. Occupying the liminal space between pop, folk and art music, In The Quiet draws heavily on Monique’s classical training and influences including Björk and Joanna Newsom. Genre fluid, technically sublime and multifaceted, Monique Clare is a storyteller at heart and one of Australia's emerging songwriters.
Monique returns to Australia this summer to put the finishing touches on her debut album, set for release in 2021.
LIVE GIG DETAILS
EVENT: Bushtime (Presented by Woodfordia – Woodford Folk Festival)
DATE: 27 December 2020 – 1 January 2021
VENUE: Woodfordia – The Pond, QLD