Tallaght’s Luke Clerkin to release debut single ‘Gloria’ in Whelans

By Aideen O’Flaherty

LUKE Clerkin, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Springfield in Tallaght, is set to release his new single ‘Gloria’ ahead of a headline show in Whelan’s later this month.

‘Gloria’ was originally recorded in 2014, with the intention that it would be Luke’s debut single, but a lack of confidence at the time meant it was temporarily shelved.

Luke told The Echo: “The song was written when I was just starting out.

“It was my first time going into the studio on my own and I wasn’t ready.”

This was followed by hundreds of gigs, which boosted the musician’s confidence and led him to chose ‘Gloria’ as his second single.

He rewrote the verses and the vocal melody for the song, and is now pleased and confident with the end result.

Explaining what the song is about, Luke said: “It’s not about me, but it’s about someone who’s not in a good relationship and they’re falling for that person.

“It’s about a troubled relationship.”

Luke is now a seasoned live performer, but he said it took him a while to get comfortable on stage as he used to feel “very self-conscious” playing live, but he now admits that he “learned everything [about playing music] when I was on stage”.

The musician played 250 shows in 2015 and released his debut single ‘Stones’, in aid of Cycle for Suicide, shortly afterwards.

When describing what audiences can expect from his upcoming Whelan’s gig, Luke said: “It will be a night full of raw emotion, sing-a-longs and crowd interaction.”

The up-and-coming musician lists Damien Rice and Glen Hansard among his musical influences, with plans to release a debut EP later this year.

‘Gloria’ will be released on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Deezer on February 17, which will be followed by a show in Whelans on February 22 with support from Pine the Pilcrow, Sandii & Gav and JaXson.

Tickets for the gig are €8 if bought in advance on http://www.whelanslive.com/index.php/luke-clerkin, or €10 at the door.