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Artist
Clearance
12+ albums
rocknoiseindie rockUSALo-Fi
about
Clearance's charms have always come from the way they cleverly condense their influences into fresh songs brimming with personality. Drawing as much inspiration from '60s U.K. pop and jangly '80s New Zealand indie rock as '90s slacker and contemporary groups they've recently shared bills with like Omni and Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, the Chicago-based band's career so far has been full of wiry and witty gems. From their ramshackle and coolheaded 2015 debut, Rapid Rewards, to their 2016 7” single Are You Aware, each release has boasted memorable riffs and frontman Mike Bellis' bitingly observational lyrics. Their forthcoming sophomore effort At Your Leisure, which is out July 27 via Topshelf Records, is the product of the band's strengths. It's the culmination of long tours, breakneck writing sessions, and the evolving friendship between band members Bellis, guitarist Kevin Fairbairn, bassist Greg Obis, and drummer Arthur Velez. Older and wiser, Clearance uses the trials and tribulations of being an indie rock band navigating the maddeningly contradictory music industry in 2018 as a secret weapon. Bellis revels in its absurdities throughout. "On The Doorstep" deals with superficiality and the nitty-gritty business side of the industry: "If the contract's ironclad / You're on the doorstep" while "Gallery Glare" tackles winning over a disinterested crowd: "But don't stare / cause you've gotta laugh at the tawdry details of this sordid affair." Even the album's title is
