Shawn William Clarke: Tall Trees
Driven by delicate finger-picked guitar and Clarke’s knack for image-rich storytelling and winding melodies, “Tall Trees” brings its listener bittersweet comfort. Feeling all at once modern and nostalgic, “Tall Trees” sits somewhere between the dynamic nuance of Jeff Tweedy and the ‘60s singer-songwriter tradition of Simon and Garfunkel.
Written on his neighbours balcony while looking after their cat named Eugene, Clarke braids the comforting simplicity of the sights and sounds of his neighbourhood with the emotional heaviness of pandemic life. Clarke shares, ”We were right in the middle of the pandemic, and I was worried about how it was affecting certain people in my life (“Narratives make strangers of us all”). At the same time, I was doing research into my family history, eventually joining the Metis Nation of Ontario (“Generations weighing on our minds”). I’m not sure if there was a message in ‘Tall Trees’ for other people, it was more of a self-examination. While all these things were going on, I still had a life to live, songs to write, and bills to pay. This song is such snapshot of a time & place in my life, and hopefully it resonates with others in a similar way.”
The track was recorded at Curries Music in Gravenhurst, Ontario with Rob Currie, who recorded, mixed, and co-produced “Tall Trees”. Clarke brought in musician friends Claire Coupland and Sarah Hiltz to add background vocals, with Graydon James (The Young Novelists) on percussion. Album "Softer Scissors" coming April 19th 2024.