Renowned indie-folk singer, songwriter, and producer Josienne Clarke has released her highly anticipated album, Parenthesis, I, via her own label, Corduroy Punk. On Parenthesis, I, Clarke has not only embraced her past but has also redefined herself in the present, presenting a body of work that is both timeless and deeply personal, and her best to date. “This is the sound of my journey to some kind of resolution, seeking and finding a safe path of my own,” she says. 

Throughout her career, Josienne Clarke has been both a Rough Trade-signed artist and a BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner, two opposing poles that neatly sum up her inability to be pigeonholed. After the success of her 2019 solo record, In All Weather, and the indie-infused A Small Unknowable Thing in 2021, she released the EP I Promised You Light and the covers EEP Now & Then in 2022. In 2023 she released Onliness (songs of solitude and singularity) – a moment of personal reclamation, which saw her re-recording songs from her back catalogue. Now, she stands on the cusp of a new era with Parenthesis, I. Shimmering, warm, intimate, and profoundly heart-wrenching. 

The album is a masterful journey through Clarke’s personal and musical evolution. On Parenthesis, I, she draws influence from folk greats Nick Drake and Sandy Denny, as well as more contemporary artists like Julia jacklin, Courtney Marie Andrews, Anaïs Mitchell and Lucy Dacus. “It encompasses all of my musical influences. You can hear flavours and textures from all the records I’ve put out in the last 5 years. After an interval I am presenting myself to the world, reworked, remade, anew” says Clarke, who produces all of her records, and also plays guitar, saxophone, clarinet and recorders throughout. 

From the opening chords of ‘Friendly Teeth,’ Clarke invites listeners into a world of unfiltered honesty and emotional vulnerability. The poignant exploration of truth over myth sets the tone for an album that effortlessly weaves together themes of personal growth, resilience, and self-discovery. 

Clarke’s ability to confront challenging subjects with grace and authenticity is a testament to her songwriting prowess. ‘Forbearing’ dives deep into themes of failure, suicide, and miscarriage, ultimately celebrating the transformative power of changing one’s perspective. Between 2020 and 2022, at a time when her music career was significantly changing track, Clarke suffered a series of miscarriages, leaving her feeling suicidal and without a purpose. “I thought I had nothing to show for my existence,” she says. “Being at your lowest, where you can’t withstand your situation any longer, is a place from which you either give up or you fundamentally change the way you think about yourself, life and the space you afford yourself in it,” she continues. 

The confessional ballad ‘Most Of All’ condenses Josienne Clarke’s life story into five verses. “It is a licking of wounds and counting of blessings, taking stock and setting straight in my head,” she says. “It’s one of those songs where I’m a bit exposed and I almost can’t bring myself to share it. Several times I nearly took it off the tracklist, but experience has taught me, those ones end up being among my audience’s favourite songs,” she goes on. The version that made it onto the final tracklist is the original demo Clarke recorded, just her voice and guitar, lo-fi and honest. 

Throughout the darkness shine many moments of resilience. “Bring me a double edged sword, and I’ll show you an iron will” sings Clarke on the soaring ‘Double Edged Sword’. “Sometimes your continued existence is enough, the bold move, an act of resistance. Going through something difficult and coming out the other side is an achievement in itself. Holding your ground or a boundary is not aggression, refusing to surrender is not the same as fighting,” she notes. “I was going for the sound of The Stone Roses ‘Waterfall’ meets Taylor Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero’ played by a folky singer-songwriter!,” she adds with a laugh.

Another stand out moment is ‘Fear of Falling’, a modern Americana number that captures the struggle of leaving the past behind and embracing a brighter future. “This song contains imagery from the beautiful place I now live, the Isle of Bute in Scotland. I walk along the harbour everyday and take in the sea air, it’s great for the soul and artistically inspiring. I take a deep breath of it and remind myself to leave the past where it belongs,” explains Clarke.

As Clarke aptly states, “The songs and their themes are immensely personal to me, but more importantly, these themes may be relatable to others.” With lives characterised by complexity, nuanced feelings, and the slow, arduous process of growth, Parenthesis, I encapsulates Clarke’s journey to resolution, seeking and finding a safe path of her own.