An Alternative-Pop group based in the Midwest, D. CLEA is Darien Clea, Caleb Block, Matt Fritzler, and Ryan Westeren. This collective's road as a band has, from the beginning, been defined by their disregard for the normal way of doing things.
Some artists write from skill first, setting boundaries along the way so that when it comes time to perform the song, it's something they can actually pull off. For D. CLEA, however, the songs are dreamed up first, and it's not unusual for them to step into the practice room and find the songs have grown taller than their capabilities. This "creativity first, logistics later" mentality, and the hours of practice it demands, is what gives their music its polished, innovative sound, and it also happens to be the reason they didn't release a studio album until their sixth year of playing music together.
IN SICKNESS, D. CLEA's debut record, is the result of years of writing, re-writing, and re-re-writing, and thus, in itself, a living metaphor for the very concept of the album: being cut away at and refined by love in all its unexpectedly bitter, grief-ridden, and self-sacrifice demanding moments. With IN SICKNESSES finally released, the band is turning its focus towards tour booking, eager to engage with audiences in a live setting. On the horizon as well sits what will be their second album, IN HEALTH, which is due to be released Summer 2017.