Specialists in the sonic exploration and expansion of the psyche, A Clatter and Drone are back with the welcome release of Callus, the first single from the band’s much anticipated debut album ‘Empty Buggy’.

The band have already had a taster of what they can do with The Day That Broke Winter, a song celebrating the death, rebirth and growth of the psyche.  We’ve managed to get our hands on the video for the latest track, so we’ll hand over to A Clatter and Drone to better illuminate the depths of Callus…

“Echoing Tarkovsky’s idea that rigidity is a form of death, Callus is a song about growing old and bitter. It explores themes of enmeshment, trust, and hurt through a dark lens that makes it difficult to access kindness and love. It asks, ‘Is greed formed when one feels unsupported?’

The song reflects on how the absence of human connection – replaced by isolation – can lead to a hardened, cynical outlook, which paradoxically only deepens the struggle to have those fundamental needs met.

Callus invites an attitude of softness and compassion, suggesting that through this lens, a more realistic and balanced view of the world might emerge. The music mirrors these emotional themes. A fast, heavy, minor-key intro gives way to a slow, brooding section, interrupted by major – key choruses that briefly evoke a youthful energy – before sinking back into dark drones.

The name A Clatter and Drone is both a nod to sonic texture and a metaphor: the clatter as the traumatic event, the drone as the unconscious  patterns that echo in its aftermath.

Cormac Kenny’s bodhrán playing closes the track-off-kilter, jagged, and, as some have noted, reminiscent of early Aphex Twin rhythms. The outro, built on syncopated patterns with a neutral but disoriented feel, captures how these experiences are simply part of life – not something to be feared or romanticised. They’re just growing pains.”

Callus will be on general release on May 15th, but we’re delighted to premiere the track here…

Catch up with the band on the usual socials…

Bandcamp // Instagram // YouTube // Soundcloud