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Pioneering alt-pop quartet The Gift return with ‘Clinic Hope’, the second single from their eagerly anticipated Brian Eno co-produced and co-written forthcoming album. The new track is set for release on their own label La Folie Records on January 6th, alongside the compelling video by Wired-approved and post-apocalyptic hackers flick ‘Jackrabbit’ director Carleton Ranney
Following the recent release of their single, ‘Love Without Violins’, which saw support across the board from the likes of The Independent and Paste Magazine as well as picking up spins on BBC 6Music from Tom Robinson, Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable Show and NPR’s All Songs Considered.
The Grammy-nominated producer adds his expertly vision of pop music to the band’s keyboardist Nuno Gonçalves unique writing skills. Working with the band on both music and lyrics over a period of two years, he explains “the idea for these lyrics came from remembering a brief meeting with Colombian artist Fernando Bottero’s daughter Lina Bottero. When she smiled, it was like the sun coming out. She’s the inspiration for the girl in this song. I think it’s the fastest song I’ve ever worked on…fleet is probably the right word.”
Vocalist Sónia Tavares’ and Eno’s lyrics glide over the top of the track, which in her own words “deals with adoration. Someone contemplates a girl and marvels at her joie de vivre. A fantasy of marriage, happiness for life, hope when everything else fails, clinic hope.” Nuno adds his technical skill into the mix explaining that the “electronic sound pulsates throughout the track at 189 BPM”, conjuring images of flashing neon lights from a club in the band’s hometown of Alcobaça.
The accompanying visuals see BAFTA Games Award-nominated voice actor Logan Cunningham striking performance as a New Yorker liberating himself by escaping the city chaos through music. Reflecting on the recent events to hit the city and the nation, the director explains “the video also is a meta representation of what music is to me. I feel that great music finds you, it comes out of nowhere and suddenly you’re drawn to it. This ultimately leads you to a community of people, who share the same connection you have.”
Having proved themselves to be a tour de force on the live circuit, the band is Portugal’s biggest musical export. They shared the stage with the likes of Arcade Fire and Portishead, performed at SXSW, went on to win an MTV Europe award for ‘Best Portuguese Act’, and toured USA and Canada supporting The Flaming Lips and Anna Calvi
The four-piece have been right at the forefront of the DIY movement in Portugal for twenty years. Running a slick operation through their own label, La Folie, they look after every aspect of their own career – from financing their recordings to the art direction and styling and live performances – a visual spectacle the band will bring to Eurosonic 2017 on 11th January, where they will be representing Portugal and to London for a special show in February.
Their 2011 album ‘Explode’ produced by Coldplay and Paolo Nutini collaborator Ken Nelson – debuted at #1 in Portugal’s chart, and went on to remain in the Top 10 for over 10 weeks. With SXSW already confirmed for next year, the group stunning new single will cement their status in the international music scene.