UK power pop artist James Clarke Five presents the single 'Lennie Dale (Fly Fly Fly)', released via UK label Favourite Recordings. Mixing classic baroque pop with strong melodies and distinctive chord changes, his melodic sound brings overtones of glam rock and psychedelic pop.

Now based in London, James Clarke Five is the solo project of James Hughes, perhaps best known as keyboardist and vocalist for Liverpool 80's new wave bands The Cherry Boys and Exhibit B. Contemporaries of Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes, The Cherry Boys played with The LA’s, Cast, The Icicle Works and Lightning Seeds.

'Lennie Dale (Fly Fly Fly)' is inspired by the life of Lennie Dale, a New Yorker and adopted Brazilian. A dancer, singer and choreographer, who became involved in the Bossa Nova movement, he recorded several albums in the bossa jazz style, and later founded and starred in the 1970s theatre group Dzi Croquettes, known for their flamboyant and androgynous style.

This single attempts to encapsulate his spirit of defiance and resistance in the face of censorship from the military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1970s. Recorded in his home studio in London, James produced and mastered this single, performing all instruments and vocals.

“Many artists tend to write about their own journey, their own experiences. And that’s fine - but there’s a lot of it about! I find it more interesting to write about other people’s lives, and their struggles - perhaps more obscure figures who to me are in some way heroic. And I think ‘Lennie Dale’ is a typical of that approach," says James Hughes.

Upon moving to London in the early 2000s, Hughes launched James Clarke Five with the barnstorming single 'Get Out Of Bed' and later found success with his song 'Sexbombe Uber Alles', the main theme of the film 'Last Shop Standing'. His most recent albums 'Zoom and The Gadflies' (2024), 'Underneath The Lemon Tree' (2021) and 'ParlourSounds' (2018), released by iconic Canadian label The Beautiful Music, garnered rave reviews. His music has also appeared in the film 'Soundtrack to Sixteen'and has amassed over 1.25 million Spotify streams to date.

As of August 7, 'Lennie Dale (Fly Fly Fly)' is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written by James Clarke (AKA James Hughes)
Vocals and all instruments by James Clarke
Produced & mastered by James Clarke
Cover artwork by James Clarke
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

Keep up with James Clarke Five
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Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
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"With fantastic diversity, wrapped in a tight layer of suave musical mastery, James Clarke Five's brand of music melds the best of rock and Brit pop, imbued with spirits past and present" ~ Amplify Music Mag

"The sound of the 60’s if 80’s sophisti-pop had been invented, all smooth rounded notes, beautiful production and huge globules of earnest maturity" ~ Jangle Pop Hub

"A pleasure to listen to... a sort of Ben Folds does Sunshine Pop" ~ I Don't Hear a Single

"Best slices of gentle indie pop I’ve heard... with teeth wrapped in velvet, just as the lounge style was for The Specials" ~ Pop in the Real World

"Some kinda locked-in-his-bedroom genius... very listenable pop" ~ Dagger Zine

UK indie rock artist James Clarke Five presents the new single 'Ghost', previewing the album 'Zoom and The Gadflies', slated for release on March 15 via Favourite Recordings. With bittersweet reflections on childhood and the passing of time, this melodious, atmospheric, harpsichord-driven sound is reminiscent of film music by the likes of John Barry, Burt Bacharach, and Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys.

Much like Cocteau Twins was not actually a duo, James Clarke Five is the solo project of James Hughes. He is perhaps best known as keyboardist and vocalist for Liverpool 80's new wave band The Cherry Boys, contemporaries of Echo & The Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes, whose members also played with The LA’s, Cast, The Icicle Works and Lightning Seeds. With a slight resemblance to The Fall's Mark E. Smith, Hughes now lives in London.

With sometimes story-driven or politically-edged lyrics, James Clarke Five mixes classic baroque pop with strong melodies and distinctive chord changes, but with a more raw, guitar driven sound with overtones of glam rock and psychedelia. The new album also includes some clear nods to XTCk, Adam and the Ants and Joe Meek.

James explains, "This is a more 'reflective' song inspired by film soundtracks from the likes of John Barry, and also 'vintage' TV themes for which I have a great affection. For me the song adds an extra dimension to what is an otherwise 'upbeat' album".

'Ghost' follows the singles 'Gadfly Groove', celebrating the personal transformation of a quiet, tentative introvert to an outgoing, gadfly-like persona, and '(Who's Been On The) Big Rock Candy', which tells the story of a couple who pursue increasingly daring deeds from roller coaster rides and cliff edges to runaway trains, all to a pounding, feedback-driven backdrop.

Album order https://jamesclarkefive.bandcamp.com/album/zoom-and-the-gadflies
Album pre-save https://found.ee/ZATG-1
'Ghost' single https://found.ee/PUhIv7
Bandcamp https://jamesclarkefive.bandcamp.com/track/ghost

At the age of 12, James picked up a guitar, which he has scarcely put down since. Following The Cherry Boys, Hughes was a founder member of Exhibit B, who released the cult classic album 'Playing Dead' and several singles.

Upon moving to London in the early 2000s, Hughes launched James Clarke Five with the barnstorming single 'Get Out Of Bed' and later found success with his song 'Sexbombe Uber Alles', the main theme of the film 'Last Shop Standing'. Their most recent albums 'Underneath The Lemon Tree' (2021) and 'ParlourSounds' (2018), released by iconic Canadian label The Beautiful Music, garnered rave reviews. His music has also appeared in the film 'Soundtrack to Sixteen' and has amassed over 1.25 million Spotify streams to date.

Recorded in his home studio in London, James produced and mastered this album. He performed all instruments and vocals with the exception of Mack The Sax, who plays saxophone on 'Gadfly Groove' and Karen Bates, who provides backing vocals on 'It's Been So Long'.

As of February 23, 'Ghost' is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp. The full 'Zoom and The Gadflies' album will be released on March 15 and is already available for pre-order.

JAMES CLARKE FIVE (ex-CHERRY BOYS) presents stunning powerpop single 'Lennie Dale (Fly Fly Fly)'

UK artist James Clarke Five presents 'Ghost', previewing new album 'Zoom and The Gadflies'