THE FRONT ROW

The Clause are finally ready to claim their crown. The Birmingham four-piece — long regarded as one of the UK’s most exciting live acts, have today announced their debut album Victim of a Casual Thing, due for release in October. And they’ve kicked off the next chapter with their most polished, punch-packing single to date: Nothing’s As It Seems.

From the first second, this is The Clause in full technicolour. No drawn-out build-up, no slow fade-in, just punchy, urgent guitars and frontman Pearce Macca’s vocal right up in your face, staking a claim for anthem status before you’ve even caught your breath. It’s a confident, festival-ready statement from a band who’ve always had the tunes, and now clearly have the momentum to match.

The verses are lean and infectious, built around an interplay of bright acoustic strums and slinky electric licks. The vocals glide through with a melodic clarity that cuts clean through the mix, while the rhythm section keeps things snappy and propulsive. By the time the pre-chorus kicks in, you’re already moving.

But it’s that chorus, and the cry of “I sing myself to sleep” , that cements this as a breakout moment. Huge, soaring, and dangerously catchy, it’s the kind of refrain destined to echo across tents and stadiums all summer long. There’s grit in the vocal delivery but a real sense of elevation in the instrumentation, every layer working to lift the hook to its maximum potential.

The bridge line ,“Don’t waste your time wishing you were somewhere, nothing matters when you’re six foot under” , is vintage The Clause. Smartly cynical, youthful but reflective, it shows the lyrical bite that’s always set them apart from the indie landfill crowd. And when that final chorus hits, all layered guitars and full-throttle harmonies, it’s impossible not to picture it bouncing back from a thousand voices.

Nothing’s As It Seems is, in many ways, the culmination of everything The Clause have been building towards over their EPs and singles. The hooks are bigger, the production crisper, the songwriting sharper — but the DNA is all still there. That blend of indie grit, Brummie swagger and arena ambition has never sounded so complete.

If this is what they’re leading with, Victim of a Casual Thing promises to be one of the most important debut records of the year. The Clause aren’t just ready — they’re roaring.