Sunday Arts Magazine

6 Feb 2023

Claire Tonti – Matrescence

Arts, Music

Claire Tonti is a Naarm-based singer/songwriter and host of both the award-winning podcast Suggestible and her interview show TONTS, where she speaks to writers, activists, experts, thinkers and deeply feeling humans about their stories including Jessie Stephens, Jamila Rizvi, Benjamin Law, Clare Bowditch, Sarah Wilson and Jane Harper. After putting her musical career on hold to start her family – a common occurrence for women within creative fields, Claire today shares her debut album ‘Matrescence’. Funnelling her experience during this time into 11 beautifully restrained indie folk songs, the album covers love, loss and trauma and the imperfect joys and difficulties that sit inside us as we grow into our power as women.

As the title suggests, Claire’s writing explores how the transition through motherhood / matrescence changes and alters us. Inspired by her own experiences and the stories of women in her life, lyrics are at the forefront of the album. Pared back production by collaborator and producer Ezekiel Fenn allows the concise melodies and Claire’s warm, emotive vocals to take centre stage. Acoustic instrumentation makes up the body of the work, as well as a cameo from Claire’s daughter on her latest single Free, which speaks to breaking away from female societal expectations. The downtempo Self is stripped back with just guitar, drums and bass, and discusses overcoming birth trauma and post natal depression. The roomy Lullaby feels like you’re sitting next to Claire by the piano featuring recordings from her original voice memos, whilst the uptempo and breezy All Kinds of Lovely sees her sing a duet with her own manipulated voice, reminiscent of Feist, Holly Throsby and Lucy Rose.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:26 — 17.8MB)

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