The Glasgow-based band’s Paul Swinton on discovering a track that sparked a life-long obsession
The premise of One Track Mind is pretty simple: I ask artists to pick one track that means a lot to them – either something they’ve discovered recently, something that’s been with them for years, or one that reminds them of a specific time in their life or career – and tell me what makes it so special to them. I get to talk to the artists I love, and they get to talk about the artists they love. Love all round!
Cloth are a Glasgow two-piece comprising twins Rachael and Paul Swinton, who combine alt-rock with electronically enhanced production with extremely enjoyable results.
While their self-titled debut album was shortlisted for the 2020 SAY Award and enjoyed committed support from various 6 Music DJs, their second album Secret Measure – released in May on Mogwai’s Rock Action Records – seems to already be breaking through in a more significant fashion. Presenting a wider, more cinematic sound and arguably more emotionally resonant than their debut, it’s been reviewed very positively pretty much across the board, and quite rightly so.
For their One Track Mind selection, Paul Swinton talks about the lasting impact of a charity shop find.
Cloth’s Paul Swinton on The Blue Nile’s I Love This Life
“The first time we heard The Blue Nile’s I Love This Life was in our Mum’s car after she’d picked up a copy of A Walk Across the Rooftops from a local charity shop. We were probably around 14 or 15 at the time and it landed more immediately with Rachael at first. She’d play it again and again in the years after that and it was almost never missing from any mix she’d make. It was Rachael’s love of the track which spurred my own interest in it, converting me from casual listener to full-blown devotee of The Blue Nile’s back catalogue.
“As you’d expect from the title, there’s something which feels irrepressibly joyous about I Love This Life. It’s a fast, catchy song which celebrates the simple joy of being alive and all its potential. That’s certainly how I read the song for years anyway and I could always rely on a good dopamine hit as a result. Once I delved further into Paul Buchanan’s songwriting, however, I realised a sense of wistful melancholy is never too far away. Over time, I began to hear the song in a new light; sung from the perspective of a character deep into a life of disappointment, trying half-heartedly to convince himself and others of a carefree disposition –
Yeah, yeah, yeah / Tell everybody it’s alright / I love, I love this life
“I Love This Life will always be a milestone for me in terms of how I think about songwriting. It taught me that seemingly sunny, upbeat music can be undermined by heartbreaking words to quietly devastating effect. It also put Rachael and I onto an incredible body of work, the sparse arrangements and unapologetically fragile lyrics of which continue to influence our songwriting to this day. Not bad for a charity shop find!”
Cloth – Secret Measure is out now
The Predatory Wasp 