Formerly Toast, Claud is the new synth-pop project from Brooklyn singer-songwriter Claud Mintz. Nostalgic and groovy, their awkward charm will almost certainly make you want to dance and cry, probably at the same time.
Releasing under this new alias after Wonder Bread reportedly tried to sue Toast, the endearing sound of Claud is quirky and captivating in it’s heartwarming honesty and awkward charm. Their lo-fi tracks are inflected with honeyed, 80s-inspired synths and chiming melodies, effecting a soundscape that oozes a buttery warmth.
After dropping out of Syracuse University to pursue a career in music, Claud’s debut EP Toast was released last August, made up of tracks created in their college dorm room. Bedroom pop both stylistically and literally, it’s groovy, understated soundscape holds very little to dislike, creating music that has an abstract, universal appeal. Chiming synths and funky basslines sit against lyrics charged with a raw, genuine honesty in a juxtaposition that gives tracks like ‘Scarlet’ and ‘Onetwothree’ a charm and nostalgia that makes them instantly relatable. They pack a punch that is often lost in the poppy arrangements of this genre.
Claud’s latest releases retain this awkward charm, their twinkling production and emotive songwriting capturing nostalgic feelings of heartbreak and loneliness. Standout track ‘Easy’ is an emotional bop that lends itself to break-up playlists and late night dancing on your own. Singing “you hold me but not too tight/and when you talk me up it don’t sit nice”, the track explores feelings of vulnerability and pain in a way that is both accessible and relatable because of the way it sits so delicately against such an upbeat arrangement inflected with 80s disco-inspired synths.
Their first release as Claud, ‘Never Meant To Call’, explores similar themes with the same endearing teenage innocence. It sees Claud navigate the feelings of being an outsider against an infectious, groovy arrangement, emphasising and magnifying feelings of loneliness as they sing “I had a plan to take you by the hand/till I saw you leaning her against your door”. The track’s video also enhances this; it sees Claud wondering through a house party before finding their place dancing with a blow-up doll.
Unique, honest and charmingly relatable, Claud is an artist with promise and a healthy dose of reality. Everything from their soft, restrained vocals and understated production to the simplicity of their image, it is clear that Claud is a genuine artist, passionate about creating the type of music they want to offer the world. With nearly 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, and tours with the likes of The Maria’s and Clairo under their belt, it is clear that Claud is on an upward trajectory with an exciting future.
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Check out their latest release ‘If I Were You’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y_2Qlcx3B0
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