MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Clara Benin has found the courage to embrace self-acceptance in the face of adversity on her sophomore studio album, “befriending my tears,” now out via OFFMUTE. The introspective record serves as the follow-up release to 2020’s “Fragments,” a five-track EP that maps out different seasons of her life during the pre-pandemic days.
According to Clara, that nine-track album takes listeners on a journey from the self to the soul in the bid to love, lose, and grow as individuals.
“This album’s lyrical theme is learning to believe in yourself,” Clara explained. “You can surround yourself with all these people who love you and believe in you, but if you don’t love yourself and believe in yourself first, you’re just going to keep hurting inside. We all need to learn how to befriend our tears in order to heal.”
Enriching the shrewd sensitivity of her songwriting with dreamier, more expansive soundscapes and a refreshing musical direction that leans toward emo-tinged indie folk, the Filipino singer-songwriter collaborated with a variety of producers whose credits one would normally see outside of the mainstream vault. She enlisted producers such as Sam Marquez, Tim Marquez, Gabba Santiago, and The Ringmaster to improve and interpret some of the demos that she has arranged and produced herself.
“Working on this record, I really learned how to be intentional with all the details and elements of production,” Clara shared. “I wanted every song to sound new and fresh to the listener’s ears, and I want the songs to not just have an emotional impact but a visceral impact as well, which is what song production can do.”
“befriending my tears” is led by her latest single “imposter syndrome,” which deals with self-doubt while navigating through all the uncertainties in life. Produced by Sam Marquez (Ena Mori, One Click Straight, Zild), the intricately detailed alt-pop jam is about Clara coming to terms with her own insecurities. The release of the song is accompanied by a Josh Elefan-helmed visual that portrays Clara as a completely dissociated person, “rediscovering connection through a friend that reached out to her.”
Other highlights in the album include the Gabba Santiago co-write “small town,” (featuring Gabba Santiago) and the rom-com-inspired tunes “blink” and “affable dork.”
Clara Benin’s new album, ‘befriending my fears’ is out now on all digital music platforms via OFFMUTE.
