AIR-nominated artist Imogen Clark has released ‘Not Christmas Here’, upholding her tradition of releasing an original standalone Christmas single each year. Showcasing her unique take on the holiday season, the song was written with legendary troubadour Steve Poltz and recorded at Peter Frampton’s Studio Phenix in Nashville with a cast of A-list Music City players earlier this year.
Speaking about this year's Christmas single, Imogen shared, “I went to the US to write and record earlier this year, and while I was there, I decided this was my last visit and the next time I came back would be me moving there” Imogen recalls. “I was so excited but also overwhelmed and terrified about moving to the other end of the Earth. I thought of my Aussie Christmases, visiting my family home in Western Sydney and taking stock of what I've learned, achieved and overcome in the last twelve months. This song is me projecting ahead to how I'll feel on my first Christmas living in America, without my family close by, and without all the trappings of an Australian Christmas - the sweltering heat, seafood dinners and white wine.”
"It was so much fun writing this song with Imogen,” says Steve Poltz. “She’s a great collaborator and a wonderful songsmith with great instincts. It put us in the Christmas spirit while we were smack dab in the middle of a heatwave in Nashville. Honored to be a part of the whole shebang.”
Imogen premiered the song last night at the Sydney installment of her ‘Imogen Clark and Friends’ jam show. Birthed during the pandemic as a way to bring together artists from across the genre spectrum, the show has become an annual tradition where a star-studded bill of guest artists join Imogen and her band over two sets of her songs, their songs and special covers. Last night’s show at Newtown’s The Vanguard saw the first ever live performance of ‘Not Christmas Here’, alongside collab performances with The Buckleys, CLEWS, Lindsay McDougall (Frenzal Rhomb), Molly Millington, Sarah Belkner and Timothy James Bowen and an epic performance of ‘I’m Just Ken’, the viral hit song from the Barbie soundtrack.
The Melbourne installment of ‘Imogen Clark and Friends’ takes place Saturday 9 December at Melbourne’s The Gasometer Hotel, featuring a stellar all-female artist lineup of Alex Lahey, Darcy Fox, Demi Louise, Eilish Gilligan, Jess Hitchcock, Katie Wighton and Shannen James.
The show will cap off a landmark year for the singer-songwriter which saw Imogen travel to the US and UK to write and record her upcoming new album, including laying down arena-ready lead single ‘If I Want In’ at the iconic Abbey Road studios with members of Gang of Youths. In their piece premiering the song, Atwood Magazine said “The Australian singer/songwriter captures her own coming-of-age experience in her dynamic new single “If I Want In,” a sonically and emotionally charged eruption of passion, ambition, and a raw energy that can’t be tamed or tampered down.”
Connect with Imogen Clark,
