Once upon a time, in a small bedroom in Cork, Ireland, a young musician recorded a song called 'Empty'. By her own admission, it was "very immature and very clearly recorded in a bedroom." But even now, years later, that early creative spark still resonates with Iona Lynch, lead singer of Cliffords. "I actually still love the song," she reflects. "It still has some charm to me." That recording represents more than just a musical beginning; it captures what makes Cliffords such a compelling proposition.

Lynch's musical journey began at home, shaped by a father whose passion for music transcended his own musical abilities. "My history with music is really my dad," she explains. "He doesn't have a musical bone in his body, but he knows everything about music, he's a true fan, and he's more vinyl in the house than most record shops." This early immersion in diverse sounds would later influence the band's eclectic approach to composition.

Their songwriting philosophy reflects a mature approach to emotional complexity. While Lynch acknowledges the immediate satisfaction of writing a "fuck you, you're evil, you hurt me song," she's learned to appreciate the nuanced territory of crafting what she calls a "we are both young and fallible people who are trying to do their best and sometimes failing song." This evolution in perspective speaks to the band's growing sophistication.

Each of the four-piece - Lynch on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Harry on lead guitar and backing vocals, Locon on keys, and Gavin handling bass, trumpet, and backing vocals - brings their own musical history to the table, with Harry and Locon's surprising past in a metal band and Gavin's classical training with the trumpet and orchestra experience adding layers to their collective sound.

"It's been absolutely huge for us," Lynch says of Cork's influence on their development. "When we were teenagers, there used to be this thing called Ground Floor; it was in the YMCA in town. They'd run gigs for underage bands to play. Me, Gav and our old drummer Dan would get the 220 bus into town to go to these gigs."

As Lynch notes, there's often an assumption that Cork bands are simply waiting to "break out" into Dublin - a notion that fails to recognise the rich musical ecosystem beyond the capital.

"We used to play there almost every week and take every single support slot available," Lynch recalls of their time playing at Freds Zeppelins, an old rock bar. "The sound was always terrible, but no one ever cared. It just meant that we were able to learn to perform as we went along. There wasn't this huge pressure to blow up or make it or anything, we were just having fun learning and enjoying the process."

A commitment to learning has marked the band; they've instituted an innovative approach to expanding their musical horizons through what they call their Album Of The Week Club. "It's been a game-changer for writing and production," Lynch notes. "We now all have similar references to call upon, and each week, we are discovering new stuff."

This organic development has served them well. Their latest EP, 'Salt of the Lee', showcases a band hitting their stride, building on the foundations of their self-released debut while pushing into more ambitious territory. It was crafted at London's prestigious Battery Studios with producer Richie Kennedy.

"He was an absolute legend," Lynch enthuses. "Richie was different to any other producer we'd worked with; he would really push us to get to the best we could get out of a take. It was also so amazing to record in a studio that's had so many amazing bands work there."

The recording process itself became a testament to the band's dedication, with bassist Gavin juggling final-year engineering studies with studio sessions. Their time in London also yielded unexpected connections, including a chance encounter with "a lovely and slightly mad woman from Mayo who flirted with all of us and also sorted us out with a house for when we move to London."

The EP's themes delve deep into personal experience and growth. "'Salt of the Lee' is about our last few years in Cork," Lynch explains. "We had a lot of change; we were all in university going through, I suppose, our first proper young adult problems. We did a lot of growing together writing this EP."

But it's not just about musical progression — the record also tackles profound emotional territory. "During our second year of college, a friend of ours passed away; he was actually someone we met from coming to our gigs," Lynch shares. "I think experiencing grief so young changed my approach to writing. I wanted to connect with other people who had felt like this."

This desire for connection manifests in songs like 'Dungarvan Bay', which Lynch wrote in two parts — "The first half was a week after our friend had passed and then the second half was a year later; I really feel the song shows the whole journey of grief in its many forms."

Lynch's approach to songwriting has evolved to embrace a more nuanced perspective on emotional experiences. "Someone once told me that you should only ever write about things in melancholy, that if you write when something just happened, you only look at it from your own perspective," she reflects. "Give it a few weeks or months, even, then you can see both sides of a picture."

Lynch's songwriting continues to evolve, drawing inspiration from diverse sources. "I do write a lot about Cork, mental health, love, friendship, but more recently, I've really enjoyed writing about literature and nature," she says. "I love folk writers; Joni Mitchell and Adrienne Lenker are my two favourite songwriters."

The band's collaborative spirit extends beyond the studio. When not touring or recording, you might find them swimming in Kinsale, where Locon lives, or watching Reeling In The Years together — a shared passion that speaks to their tight-knit dynamic. Lynch herself finds creative outlet in unexpected places: "I'm a big knitter and crocheter; I'm not very good, but it's nice to do something creative that is just for myself. It's also a great way to pass time when travelling and in the studio."

Fresh from shows in Australia — an experience they're eager to repeat, they'd "go back in a heartbeat" and "do a proper tour and stay out there for a month" — and with their first UK tour on the horizon, Cliffords are poised for an exciting year ahead. Their schedule includes appearances at major festivals across Europe, yet they maintain strong connections to their roots.

As they prepare to share 'Salt of the Lee' with the world, Cliffords offer something refreshingly genuine: a band that's grown naturally, developed their craft honestly, and remained true to their origins while reaching for something bigger.