Clemency

Jason and Paul Watkins are are two blue-blooded brothers from the red state of Oklahoma. They grew up in a musical family, sang in choirs, took piano lessons and began playing music together in high school. Paul picked up the bass and Jason began writing lyrics in response: a process that hasn’t changed much since then. They started Clemency right after, toured around the entire state, and eventually moved to Nashville to start their careers. In Nashville the Watkins’ were introduced to Grammy award-nominated producer Brent Milligan who worked with them on Vapors (2008).Vapors was celebrated for its clever use of lo-fi instrumentation and unpretentious blend of vibey pop and ambient rock. “Everything about this 10-track CD is totally first rate,” declared Indie Vision Music. “From the mix, to the packaging, to the creativity of the lyrics, it’s completely professional. Clemency has everything covered.” Clemency returned to the studio with Milligan to create their follow-up, My Heart Is the Eastern Horizon, EP, released in 2012. With this project, the band moved beyond the traditional listening experience and developed a concept video around each song. The videos allowed fans to immerse themselves in the stories being told in the songs. The title track from My Heart is the Eastern Horizon became a Top 10 Amazon MP3 single, a “New & Noteworthy” iTunes feature, as well as an “Artists on the Rise” Amazon feature. Soon after releasing My Heart is the Eastern Horizon, Clemency started writing their newest EP, You’ve Got the Fire. Spiritually, questions about love kept showing up in the recording process, so they decided to create one love story through six videos that coincide with each song on the record. According to the duo, You’ve Got the Fire draws visual inspiration as well as character and plot archetypes from films like Spielberg’s E.T. The Extraterrestrial, The Goonies, The Karate Kid, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Drive. At first listen, Clemency gives off an energy of romantic love, but the type of love these blue boys talk about goes broader than that. Clemency explores LOVE and MUSIC as universal concepts. At first listen, Clemency sounds like a rock band too, but the type of rock these blue boys are making instead goes much more nuanced than the universal concept of rock n' roll itself. Their sound is geared for the next generations of listeners. It's a sound that blends post-Y2k production sensibilities with a secret sauce that definitely contains a little Americana, a little radio-ready rock n' roll and some electro-art rock influences too. You’ve Got The Fire released worldwide February 10, 2015. YOU'VE GOT THE FIRE out now! http://apple.co/1AgewqL