Inspired by a strong commitment to each other as both friends and bandmates, Vienna-based trio My Ugly Clementine are preparing to release their new album, The Good Life, on 11th of August via BMG. Formed of Sophie Lindinger (Leyya), Mira Lu Kovacs and Nastasja Ronck (Sharktank), the band combine playful melodies and feel-good lyrics to create their brand of buoyant, uplifting grunge pop. Following the 2020 release of their debut album, Vitamin C, My Ugly Clementine spent time recording their new album in a remote house somewhere in the Beskid Mountains, far away from civilization. The result is a joyful celebration of friendship and community, with latest single ‘Would Do It Again’ encapsulating these sentiments perfectly.
We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Mira from My Ugly Clementine to ask about their “Five Favourites” – five songs that have inspired their song-writing techniques. Check out their choices below and scroll down to watch the band’s video for their latest single ‘Would Do It Again’.
1. Radiohead – Hail To The Thief
I’d listened to Radiohead already for years until that album came out and I loved them already, but Hail To The Thief just changed my perspective on so many levels concerning what an album can be, how you’re allowed to change as a band, what you can develop and grow into. I know most people got hooked to Radiohead with OK Computer or Kid A, but Hail To The Thief just showed me that I care about sound just as much as I care about songwriting.
2. Ani Difranco – Educated Guess
Ani Difranco is an artist i’ve been listening to since I was 11 years old, so I just grew up with her. All her 17k albums have influenced me deeply, maybe Evolve was even more influential at the time, but I have grown out of that playful guitar picking style a bit. That’s why I chose Educated Guess. It’s more simple and more serious and dark. The acoustic guitar is everything you don’t know about acoustic guitars, everything you wouldn’t expect from them, which I love. Lyrics wise, Ani Difranco will forever hold the reign as queen of complex poetry. I will forever be grateful for what she has opened my eyes to!
3. Arctic Monkeys – AM
I know it’s the hit album, but it must be on this list – also because I am currently revisiting it a lot these days. One of the things that have impressed and shaped me the most is AM’s ability to put more lyrics into one line than the bars have space for. They just completely ignore the laws of time. The rhythmic aspects of their writing seem otherworldly and so confident, they just change the rules to their preference. I am working on that kind of mindset every day.
4. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
One of my forever musical crushes is Jack White. I don’t think that I have to explain that. Everything he does makes sense. This album though is a masterpiece, ear worms only. The roughness in the title track ‘Broken Boy Soldiers’ completely breaks me apart. Much like AM, this album showed me to make my own rules about pop music and songwriting. There is never just one way. Jack White is just all about sound, vibes and guitars.
5. Björk – Medúlla
In my opinion, this is the most interesting album Björk made. The collab with rahzel especially (I think he appears on most of the songs) is something I think the world hadn’t heard until then. While beatboxing is something that has definitely no place in my current creating process, I think the way she included it into her musical world was spectacular. There are some forever kinda melodies on this record!
Pre-order My Ugly Clementine’s debut album The Good Life here
Watch the video for My Ugly Clementine’s latest single below.
Get In Her Ears 