Nashville soul pop singer-songwriter Claire London is back to “music that feels like home” in her new EP Stardust, which was released on July 11th, 2024.
The EP, produced by Grammy Award-winner Mitch Dane, uses sultry, western-inspired tones to compliment inspirational lyrics about love, heartbreak, and self-growth. This combined with London’s dark and captivating vocals creates an impression of sheer talent that you’d be hard-pressed to ignore.
The EP’s first single and title track, “Stardust,” is a song about feeling beaten down by worldly pressures and struggling to find purpose and motivation in hard times. With lines like “The weight of the world got me spinning” and “Take this life and make it mean something,” London connects listeners with these universal problems.
The title track is followed by “Pull of Time,” which voices a mix of sentiments, such as the mental struggles of getting older, changing dynamics in one’s life, and leaving things we once cared about behind. “Days keep rollin’ on by/ Weren’t we all supposed to fly?,” she sings with raw emotion.
The song is an anthem about self-growth and leaving the past behind, with London complimenting the song’s darker themes with the repeated line, “I wanna be free.”
The EP’s second single and third track, “Black Leather,” is a much darker and more sultry track with suggestive lyrics and palpable imagery like, “I just wanna get to the truth of your body,” exuding a sense of primal connection.
With a beat reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Come Together” combined with folksy vocals and a heavy electric guitar, this is definitely a standout track. “Black Leather” also circles back to some of the common themes of the EP, such as the need for serenity, as London sings, “So I went to the water / And left the city behind / And I was lookin’ for somethin’ / Somethin’ to ease my mind.”
The EP ends with “Same Old Story,” which uses a western-style energy to express going through cycles and needing to escape her environment to heal. With an edgy guitar interlude and Carrie Underwood-esque lyrics, the closing of the EP is an emotional gut-punch. “It’s just another heartbreak / I’ve seen you before / You’re comin’ up to break me down / You ain’t welcome here no more.”
In addition to connecting with her soulful pop roots in this new era, London is focusing a lot of her work on her experiences and journey as a mother. She is working with the non-profit Mamas in Music and the organization’s podcast, which is currently in its third season.
Featured photo by Anna Haas
