Fall in Line: Luke Clerkin is gearing up for headline show

Tallaght singer-songwriter Luke Clerkin is gearing up for his first headline show since the pandemic began, when he will take to the stage in the Cobblestone in Smithfield on February 24.

This follows on from the release of his new single, ‘Fall in Line’, last week, which was recorded remotely between Dublin and Berlin with the assistance of German producer jaako.

“We recorded this song last year during the lockdowns so there was no other option but to do it this way,” Luke, who is a past pupil of St Mark’s Community School in Springfield, told The Echo.

“It was challenging but it was fulfilling to see what we could do together while never actually being in the same country, let alone the same room.

“We actually recorded two versions of the song, a slower, rawer version and then the version I’m releasing.

“Being remote gave us the option to do this because if we were in person, we would have been under time constraints, and wouldn’t have had as much freedom.”

The folk-tinged pop song looks at contemplating pursuing someone who’s already in a relationship, and the potential ramifications of it.

Explaining what it was like to get into that headspace while writing ‘Fall in Line’, Luke said: “I used a lot of empathy to allow myself to see both sides of the situation.

“I imagined the guilt that would be involved in the situation for the person who cheated, how this could build up over time and then rear its head in future relationships.

“I also looked at the lack of trust that the other person might have for the person in the relationship because if they cheated on their last partner, what’s to say that they wouldn’t do the same thing with someone else?

“I think these are questions people might ask themselves in these situations. So guilt and trust, or even distrust, are the ‘back seat drivers’ or ‘elephants that left their marks’.

“It was a really interesting song to write, and I think it’s something people might be able to relate to.”

The award-winning musician is looking forward to performing this song, alongside his extensive back catalogue, at the Cobblestone pub in Smithfield on February 24.

The performance will be Luke’s first time back on stage since the pandemic started, and he’s feeling a mix of nerves and excitement about it.

“There’s an absolute mix of nerves and excitement within me when I think about this gig!” he said.

“I am nervous because it’s been so long since I’ve done my own show – my last one was in February of 2020, so it’ll be literally two years since then when I play the Cobblestone.

“Putting on a gig is always a risk too because you don’t know who’s gonna be there, but putting one on after such a long time away is even riskier.

But given what’s happened to the music industry in the last two years, we don’t know when live music will be taken away again. So it’s a risk worth taking!

“I’m excited to just create the communal vibe that my gigs are known for, to bring back that spirit of togetherness that we’ve missed out on.

“I’m being joined by some fantastic special guests as well, two phenomenal spoken word poets, Emmet O’Brien from Cabra, and Caoimhe Weakliam from Orwell, they’re both at the top of their game.

“I’ll also be joined by an amazing singer-songwriter from Galway called RVE.”

‘Fall in Line’ is out now on all streaming services. Luke will perform in the Cobblestone on Thursday, February 24, at 7.30pm.

Tickets are €6.19 each and are available at eventbrite.ie.