Today, cherished UK trio The Clientele release “Claire's Not Real,” the new single from their forthcoming album, I Am Not There Anymore, out July 28. Listen to and stream the song now, and pre-order I Am Not There Anymore on CD, 2-LP, and black in opaque red 2-LP Peak Vinyl from the Merge store!

This time out, The Clientele—vocalist/lyricist/guitarist Alasdair MacLean, bassist James Hornsey, and drummer Mark Keen—incorporated elements of post-bop jazz, contemporary classical, and electronic music to their work. According to MacLean, “None of those things had been able to find their way into our sound other than in the most passing way, in the faintest imprint.” The result is songs like “Claire’s Not Real,” which shifts fluidly from a light bossa nova beat to The Clientele’s classic chamber pop. “And sometimes I’m walking home / At my door / I am not there anymore,” MacLean sings atop lush instrumentation, “I am not there anymore / Do you know what I mean?”

MacLean notes that he’s not the kind of songwriter who ever sits down with a theme in mind; it’s more that “the music will bring images and then those images link of their own accord.” On “Claire’s Not Real,” MacLean evokes the all too familiar eerie beauty of a sky lit orange by forest fires. “I was in Cercedilla in Spain in summer 2020,” he says of the track. “There was suddenly a rain of ash and an orange glow on the horizon, and I read on my phone that nearby Ávila was burning with forest fires. This moment found its way into several songs on the album.”

This August, The Clientele will embark on a U.S. tour featuring stops at Bowery Ballroom in New York City,  Lodge Room in Los Angeles, Lincoln Hall in Chicago, and more. All dates are listed below and tickets are on sale now!

The Clientele on tour:
Jul 28 London, UK – Rough Trade East
Aug 09 Somerville, MA – Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre
Aug 10 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
Aug 11 Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
Aug 12 Washington, DC – Songbyrd
Aug 13 Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall
Aug 15 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Aug 17 Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room
Aug 18 Pioneertown, CA – Pappy and Harriet's 
Aug 19 Big Sur, CA – Fernwood Tavern (inside)
Aug 20 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
Aug 22 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
Aug 23 Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern