Clubhouse Sets Boundaries and Rebuilds on New Double Single Release
Following the success of their debut album Are We Going Too Slow?, indie-pop band Clubhouse is back with their first double single release, “Dance On My Heart” and “Cold December.” The singles, which both have accompanying visualizers, showcase the band’s ability to sonically and visually create emotional and provocative music that pulls at listeners’ heartstrings.
The band goes for a change of pace with this dual release. Opting for slower-paced and spacey instrumentation that favors introspectiveness and explores themes of self-care, the band shows off a side that juxtaposes their previous, mostly carefree and upbeat releases. “We didn’t actually write these songs to be together initially, but they have a similar message, so it felt like it made sense.” says drummer Zak Blumer.
According to Blumer, “‘Dance On My Heart’ is about protecting your own well-being and setting boundaries, and 'Cold December’ is about centering or rebuilding yourself. So when we had them both finished, listening to them together felt right to us.” Keyboardist Forrest Weihe added he’s really proud of the piano-led “Cold December.” Early recordings started out with a piano he played in a park near his house, and the original voice memo recording from his iPhone ended up being the one they sampled in the final version of the track.
The accompanying visualizers for “Dance On My Heart” and “Cold December” are full of beautifully shot black and white footage that captures life on the road. Shot by lead singer and guitarist Max Reichert’s younger brother Markus and edited by Zen Grey, the visualizer for “Dance On My Heart” follows the band on tour supporting The Wombats and making special connections with old and new fans at shows. “A fan at our Philly show gave us a keychain, and it’s been on my backpack since. There’s a clip of it that made it into the final video!” shares Reichert. The video for “Cold December” is a beautifully short lyric video that focuses on the actual journey on the road and evokes a sense of wanderlust.
After their tour wraps up at the end of February, the band has expressed that they plan on releasing more music that illustrates their sonic experimentation and growth as a band. “We definitely have some surprises up our sleeve, but for future releases from Clubhouse, you can expect to hear sonic influences from everywhere,” says guitarist Ari Blumer. “We’re always listening to a wide variety of music between the five of us, and it comes out when we write.”
Listen to "Dance On My Heart" and “Cold December” below: