THE MCCLYMONTS
Individually, Brooke, Samantha and Mollie McClymont are amongst the most talented performers of their generation. But put them together, and The McClymonts weave a very special kind of musical magic.
With their exquisite three-part harmonies, soaring vocals and stunning onstage presence, it’s not surprising that The McClymonts have taken the Australian music scene’s collective breath away. Since forming just a few short years ago, and releasing their debut album, Chaos and Bright Lights, they’ve dominated the Country Music Awards of Australia’s Group of the Year category, winning the Golden Guitar three years in a row.
Now the McClymonts are set to take another step forward with the release of their brand new album, Wrapped Up Good. Recorded in Nashville, the album has harnessed the talents of Taylor Swift’s producer, Nathan Chapman, and the producer of Chaos and Bright Lights, Adam Anders.
“We really admired both producers, who are good friends with one another, and they’ve brought an amazing breadth of talent to the album,” Mollie said.
That’s an understatement. From the first frenetic moments of “Kick It Up”, the first single, this album sweeps the listener up in its passion, energy and extraordinary soundscape.
“We wanted to make a positive, warm, spontaneous album. We’re all in a really good place at the moment — both in our personal lives and professionally — and the album really reflects that,” Samantha said.
“Even the songs that aren’t about happy things have a sense of being in control of your life, of moving in a good direction.”
The girls travelled to Nashville in early 2009 to write with some of the best songwriters in country music, including Trey Bruce, Erin Sherlock, Tommy-Lee James and both of the album’s producers, Nathan Chapman and Adam Anders.
The result is a collection of stunning songs, from the exquisite ballad “A Woman is a Flame”, which is the perfect vehicle for Samantha’s pure, true vocals, to the fast and furious “Kick It Up and “I’m Not Done With You”, the gentle “I Could Be a Cowboy” and the quirky and clever “The Boy Who Cried Love”.
Brooke’s gorgeous voice absolutely sizzles on the seductive title track “Wrapped Up Good”, and the girls join forces for “I’m Not Done With You Just Yet” to give it a huge, powerful sound.
According to Brooke, the heartfelt “Hearts on Fire” was a very personal song for all three girls, written when they were in Nashville.
“The boys in our life were all a long way away, and we were missing them — a lot,” she said.
Soaring throughout the album are the sublime vocal harmonies that are the calling card of this talented trio — a sound that is attracting international attention to their talent.
As well as their haul of Golden Guitars, The McClymonts’ debut album, Chaos and Bright Lights, was a finalist for Album of the Year in Tamworth, and they also reached the finals for Song of the Year with “Shotgun” and Single of the Year for “Finally Over Blue” — the song that knocked the Eagles off a 10-month run on the number 1 spot on the country charts last year.
In 2009 The McClymonts collected a MO Award for Country Group of the Year for their live performances, and in 2008 picked up their second ACE [Australian Club Entertainers] Award. They were also inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth in January 2009.
Their first self-titled EP and Chaos and Bright Lights have earned them four number 1 singles and plenty of exposure on CMT, with the girls proving a huge audience favourite. They’ve toured extensively over the past 18 months, building a large and loyal fan base across Australia.
They’ve enjoyed some high-profile performances, including a World Youth Day concert in 2008 that saw them play to a crowd of thousands, and a Tour de Force tour performing for the Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan over the Christmas/New Year period in 2006–07.
The McClymonts were also Jeans for Genes Day ambassadors in 2007 and 2008. A painting of their jeans, with Brooke, Mollie and Samantha’s faces handpainted over them, went for $10,000 at a charity auction last year.
And they’ve performed numerous times on national TV, including spots on Neighbours, Getaway, Sunrise, The Today Show, 9am and Mornings With Kerri-Anne.
In early 2010, The McClymonts will release Chaos and Bright Lights in the United States, and at the conclusion of their Australian tour in May 2010 will head back to America for some more shows and promotion.
Wrapped Up Good will be released in Australia on 15th January, 2010.
