Luke Clerkin – Wow Wow Wow (2024)
With astounding live shows, critically acclaimed releases and even playing for government officials at Leinster House (Irish Government Buildings), singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin is a musical force to be reckoned with. From famously playing over 250 gigs in 2015, to appearances at festivals like Electric Picnic and Edinburgh Free Fringe, headlining notable venues across Ireland like The Cobblestone, and having his single ‘Home’ used in Dublin’s bid for the 2020 Capital of Culture, he is also a person Ireland should (and probably is) very proud of. We first came across Clerkin in 2020 with his single ‘Confession Box’; today we gander at his latest single ‘Wow Wow Wow’.
Following his 2023 EP, Live From The Library – an EP created as the inaugural North Clondalkin Library Musician in Residence – Luke enters 2024 single-wise with ‘Wow Wow Wow’. Produced by long-time collaborator Gavin Doyle, ‘Wow Wow Wow’ is a folk single filled with Clerkin’s signature soothing calm. Do not for a moment consider that not diverting from his consistent folk sound is dull. In fact, the calming gentleness we so desire in crazy reality can be found in the knowledge of a distinctive Clerkin tune. Yet, just as there is a cathartic quality in each song, profoundness lingers in the intricate production and lyricism.
Combining an acoustic folk guitar with slight percussion, ‘Wow Wow Wow’ engages the sentimentality of vintage folk but an edginess exists as strings creep along the melody. Typically, strings, particularly violins, seem to add haunting to the single – not in this case. Yes, a slight fragility shimmers across however a moving warmth is intertwined bringing an odd hopefulness to vulnerability. I say odd because the theme of the song is not exactly a hopeful or empowering topic. Truthfully, it’s painful confusion dealing with the disappointment and embarrassment of awkward lovelorn situations. Clerkin explains:
“’Wow Wow Wow’ at its core is a vulnerable piece of music depicting one of my hopeless pursuits of finding love. This one in particular involves an embarrassing experience where after thinking that I’d finally made a connection with somebody, I found myself fifth wheeling in the middle of a busy Temple Bar pub. The song describes the even more awkward conversation that followed this experience.”
Sincere, sentimental and brimming with melodic and lyrical complexity, Clerkin might not have found love, but he’s won thousands of hearts with ‘Wow Wow Wow’.
Find out more about Luke Clerkin on his Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Spotify.
Discover more folk music on The Other Side Reviews Folk playlist:
