His 2022 album ‘Broadcast The Secret Verse’ released to a tidal wave of critical acclaim, with the Daily Star praising its “Frighteningly brilliant works” and Americana UK describing it as “One of the best albums of 2022 – 9/10”. Through this pronounced stylistic shift, Cleverley relaxed into a bold new artistic persona, capturing his myriad influences from Lo-fi Indie Folk, Electronic Synthwave, Ambient and Slowcore music, while securing the FATEA ‘Male Artist’ award for a second time in 2022.
Bio
“As surreal as Fforde. As loaded as Ballard”
Time Passed and Time Passing
Chris Cleverley was born under a solstice moon, in the honeysuckle mysticism of a late 80s Midsummer. As his fledgling days unfurled, the symbolic sounds of ‘Hunky Dory’, ‘Graceland’ and ‘Ladies of The Canyon’ echoed from the woodchip walls of the South Birmingham terrace where he was raised; quiet and curious, saturnine and shy. Here, the soul of a young artist was shaped.
Fast-forward three decades; With five nationally acclaimed records under his belt, and ringing endorsements from The Times, Telegraph and BBC6 Music, 2x FATEA ‘Male Artist of the Year’ Chris Cleverley is described as “One of the most vital voices of his Folk generation” (KLOF)
His boundary-shattering ‘Dream-Folk’ songwriting sits on the cutting edge of acoustic music. Exploring powerful, human themes from displaced people to the fragile beauty of our natural world, we travel with him from the arid deserts of Syria, to the rich Mediterranean sunsets of the Cretan coastline; a captivating voyage of place, landscape, season and self. With a compendium of songs for the misfits, steeped in love, joy, grief, anxiety and empathy, his truly immersive performance unites each individual in the room on their own journey towards finding a place in this head-spinning modern world.
From the fairy-light intimacy of concert venues, to the stages of world-renowned festivals, Chris has built a sturdy following in his 10 years touring the new British Folk Scene, including standout performances at prestigious events like Cambridge Folk Festival and The English Folk Expo.
A true guitar-man, his breathtaking fingerstyle technique dances above lush ambient soundscapes, drawing comparisons ranging from Lo-fi American Greats, Elliott Smith & Sufjan Stevens to UK guitar royalty John Martyn & Nic Jones; a curious tapestry weaved from the hazy psychedelia of the 60s folk revival and the soulful oblivion of the 90s Pacific Northwest.
With replenishing calm and warm humour, his unique one-man live show occupies the space between concert performance and yoga nidra meditation; plunging audiences head first into a revitalising journey that promises to leave them feeling that little bit more wholesome than when they arrived.
2019 saw the release of his landmark 2nd album ‘We Sat Back and Watched it Unfold’, under the helm of BBC Folk Award-winning producer Sam Kelly (Kitty Macfarlane, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys). The album, described as “Genuinely Important” (RnR Magazine) garnered widespread praise from national folk press and BBC radio, leading to the receipt of FATEA Magazine’s ‘2019 Male Artist of the Year’ award. With his characteristically unflinching songwriting, the 12 tracks confront some of the hallmark challenges of our fragmented modern age. This was followed by 2021’s ‘Live From The Glass Isle’; a set of intimate acoustic recording, captured at the foot of Glastonbury Tor on the pagan festival of Lughnasadh.
In 2024, Cleverley’s continued to hone his sound and the curation of his bold, artistic persona, with the release of his first Christmas record ‘In the Shadow of John the Divine’; truly an album for the misfits, offering a much needed voice for those who can’t quite wrap their heads around it all as December comes around. A fusion of his acoustic and electronic influences, iconic US tastemaker No Depression described it as ‘Holiday music that doesn’t suck’.
Through his partnership with publisher ‘First Original Music’, Cleverley continues to grow his reputation as a songwriter, while branching out as a producer and guitarist for artists like Awake Mother and Minnie Birch.