Cloth – the Glasgow-based twin-sibling duo of Rachael and Paul Swinton – are back with a new single, ‘Polaroid’. Produced by Ali Chant, it marks the band’s first new music since last year’s Secret Measure. Check it out below.
“We knew that we wanted to push ourselves outside our comfort zone and write a really upbeat, fast track which would feel great to play live,” Rachael said in a press release. “‘Polaroid’ has such a strong, driving beat and a soaring string arrangement from Owen Pallett. We’ve never had strings on our music before so this was a real first for us. I was a little nervous about the idea because I think adding strings can sometimes go one of two ways – they can sound great or they can overpower the nuance of everything going on underneath. I can still remember hearing Owen’s arrangement for the first time and just turning to Paul with the biggest smile on my face – they absolutely nailed it. ‘Polaroid’ is quite different to anything we’ve done before, but I think it’s one of the most exciting songs we’ve made.”
Paul added: “Lyrically, the song deals with the gradual loss of a friendship which used to burn very brightly. I think a lot of people can relate to the peculiar and quietly devastating feeling of becoming isolated from a person they once shared so much with. That preoccupation with loss – of friendships, of loved ones, of relationships – is such a universal thing and something I definitely found myself mired in when writing. I can trace it across a lot of the record.”