"Sounds like XTC had they taken a more glam rock route... Man, this is pop perfection. And then some" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Wondrous, positive and generally upbeat... Pure, perfect power pop… no exaggeration" ~ The Spill Magazine

"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

"Infectious energy... successfully marries retro vibes with a modern twist, offering listeners a refreshing take on the glam rock era" ~ Skylight Webzine

"One outgoing manipulation of pleasure, the kind of track that has inhibitions wandering as you openly bounce down the street with it" ~ Ringmaster Review

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

UK power pop artist James Clarke Five presents the album 'Zoom and The Gadflies', released via UK label Favourite Recordings, an 11-track collection of clever power pop with story-driven lyrics. Mixing classic baroque pop with strong melodies and distinctive chord changes, his melodic guitar-driven sound brings overtones of glam rock and psychedelia.

Now based in London, James Clarke Five is the solo project of James Hughes, who 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, its members also played with The LA’s, Cast, The Icicle Works and Lightning Seeds.

With clear nods to XTC, Adam and the Ants and Joe Meek, this album was previewed by the singles 'Gadfly Groove' (on the personal transformation of a quiet introvert to an outgoing persona), '(Who's Been On The) Big Rock Candy' (about a couple who pursue increasingly daring deeds to a pounding, feedback-driven backdrop), and 'Ghost' (bittersweet reflections on childhood and the passing of time with a melodious, atmospheric, harpsichord-driven sound).

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.

"This album was written and recorded over a period of two and-a-half years. As it progressed song by song, I found that it was showing a common theme inspired by the music that excited me as a child: people like Adam and The Ants, and also the likes of T Rex and the 'production style' of the Glam Rock era," explains James Hughes.

"So it gathered pace in that direction, which for me was a very exciting, if initially subconscious, development. But then all my music is in some way an homage to the music I love, with of course my personal quirks in the mix - for example the penultimate song Buddy and Joe which is my take to the music of Joe Meek, Telstar etc. On the other hand, D'You Not Think is inspired by psychedelic-era fairgrounds and steam organs (albeit with a 'political' lyric) and for me this song personifies the great fun I had putting this album together."

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 March 15, 'Zoom and The Gadflies' album is available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp.

"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

"Lie down by a river and drift away to these tunes. You won't even need the sunshine; there is enough in this record to last the whole year" ~ Isolation Records

"One of the best slices of gentle indie pop I’ve heard for some time... 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 'Gadfly Groove', previewing the album 'Zoom and The Gadflies' (out March 15 via Favourite Recordings). Celebrating the personal transformation of a quiet, tentative introvert to an outgoing, gadfly-like persona, ths song presents uplifting crunchy guitars and a blistering sax solo. Ultimately a butterfly emerges!

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.

"I was almost 'channelling' the sound of T Rex / glam-era Bowie with this song, and I gave it a carefree, slightly camp lyric to compliment the sound. I think the raunchy sax solo tops it off nicely!" says James Clarke.

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 XTC, Adam and the Ants and Joe Meek.

'Gadfly Groove' comes hot on the heels of '(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.

At the age of 12, James Hughes 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 James's 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 2, 'Gadfly Groove' will be available from fine digital platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Bandcamp. The full 'Zoom and The Gadflies' album will be released on March 15 via Favourite Recordings.

'Gadfly Groove' single https://found.ee/GadflyGroove
Bandcamp https://jamesclarkefive.bandcamp.com/track/gadfly-groove
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/1WrvlnxeMRNrPMxMulSqiO
Album pre-order https://jamesclarkefive.bandcamp.com/album/zoom-and-the-gadflies
Album pre-save https://found.ee/ZATG-1

Liverpool-London power pop artist JAMES CLARKE FIVE releases loaded 'Zoom and The Gadflies' album

London-Liverpool lovechild James Clarke Five presents 'Gadfly Groove' single ahead of new album