Musician of the Month: Greg Clifford

I was born in Dublin in 1987, and grew up 5 kilometres west of the city centre in a village called Inchicore. Since birth I’ve been completely enveloped by music and creativity. My father, Dave Clifford, was involved in the counterculture performance art scene of the late 70s / early 80s in Ireland. Additionally, he played in the original line-up of Thee Amazing Colossal Men and was the editor of Ireland’s VOX music magazine (1980-83). My mother, who in fact typed the VOX articles, is also innately artistic and adept in crafts such as tie-dyeing and jewellery.

My brother and I were privileged enough to have parents that valued and prioritised creativity, curiosity, application and dedication. We grew up in an art rich household. The walls displayed, and still do, works of Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, abstract sculptures and my father’s photography. This environment naturally piqued my interest in the alternative and the absurd.

My grandmother once declared ‘you’ll ruin that boy’! Maybe what she was really inferring was they would awaken me to the point of no return? Musically I was mesmerized by the sound of the 60s. The Beatles, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Small Faces all gripped me. Witnessing Hendrix burning his guitar left me spellbound. There was no going back from that incandescent display. I was changed forever.

My talent and proclivity for music was always fostered, never stifled. For this I am truly grateful. I began music tuition at the age of 7 and started guitar lessons at 9.

ELEVATOR

I later founded a 3-piece blues / indie rock band called ELAVATOR in 2006 (intentionally spelt incorrectly, something we later regretted). We disbanded in a most Spinal Tap-esque blaze of glory in 2012 – quite literally breaking up on stage, mid gig.

ELAVATOR served as my musical apprenticeship; honing a writing style, exploring effects pedals, learning to navigate and control the live arena, while embracing the intricacies of collaborating with others. During this time I also studied music in university; graduating with a Bachelors of Music and Masters in Contemporary Classical Composition. I also toured nationwide and internationally with the Diversus Guitar Ensemble (a 20+ classical guitar group).

After ELAVATOR I became something of a solo singer-songwriter, by circumstance rather than choice. This, however, was liberating and permitted me to embrace my musical eclecticism.

I released a number of albums, EPs and singles over the next 10 years. The standout offerings being the Quodlibet LP of 2017 and Lines of Desire LP (2022) which was accompanied by a 40-minute making of the album documentary (filmed by my father) and a 13,000 word book that reflects on the sources of inspiration, studio anecdotes and music theory.

My Dad and I regularly create music videos and independent documentaries. Our current project is ‘Outsider Artists: The Story of Paranoid Visions’, which delves into the world of Ireland’s longest serving punk band – Paranoid Visions (who formed in 1981). The film provides an insight into the conditions that spawned punk and the subcultures in Ireland. It’s a DIY endeavour about a DIY underdog band made by bloody-minded DIY filmmakers.

MANA

Musically my main focus for now is MANA – based primarily in Berlin. For this project I collaborate with musicians Shane Byrne and Niclas Liebling. I enjoy being involved in a band again, both for the sonic landscape and general camaraderie. Style wise we’re a fusion of post-punk and indie rock. Shane’s guitar tones are reminiscent of the late 70s and early 80s, while the lyrics allude to how polarized, cynical and fragmented the world has become. Our songs embody communal disenchantment whilst also offering a sense of solace and solidarity. Melancholy imbues the work, but hope is always present too. In the words of Albert Camus ‘a man devoid of hope and conscious of being so ceases to belong to the future’.

Our latest release is entitled Nauseating Me. I deliberately wanted to deliver something urgent, unapologetic and relentless; a visceral soundtrack of frustration that reflects society. The track considers themes and notions such as romanticizing recalcitrance, wanderlust and liberation, while staring into the inescapable abyss of a world strung out on fake news, quotidian click bait snares, spam, fraudulent authorities and relentless terms and conditions.

Future Projects

As for future projects and releases, that’s anyone’s guess. I am interested in some day returning to instrumental music and investing time in film scores. In reality, there are not enough years in a lifetime to explore and develop all the artistic ideas I have. However, I endeavour to remain receptive to stimuli and glimmers, and move towards what inspires me.

Early 2025 the plan is to focus my attention and energies on songwriting. I feel recently I’ve dropped the ball on that front. It seems these days being a musician is less about actually interacting with your craft and more about posting on social media, graphic design, writing press releases, admin, video editing, booking shows, promoting etc. I abhor social media, but rely on the very thing I resent, for without it I’d be rendered anonymous and redundant.

There are times I flirt with waving the white flag and embracing security away from music. I wonder if I’m ignoring my better judgement and doubts that scream ‘time to step into an acceptable paradigm’. However, this would be spiritual suicide.

I have a deep undeniable urge to create and fight the good fight. In a self-devouring world, increasingly conditioned by AI and instant gratification, for me art is the only answer. Artistic expression is a form of survival and revolt. It doesn’t always provide answers, but it asks the right questions.

Aside from its cathartic qualities, art binds, creates communities and transcends cultural divisions and boundaries. Art is life, purity and hope. Creating helps me understand the world around me, and my position in it. My goal ultimately is to illuminate myself and be as authentic for as long as possible before slipping into the big sleep.

Feature Image: Stephen Golden

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https://www.gregcliffordmusic.com/