Galway via London fourpiece The Clockworks have today shared their second full-length musical project with brand-new album ‘The Entertainment’ out now via V2 Records.

The Clockworks introduced themselves and their cinematic sound with debut album ‘Exit Strategy’ in 2023 and their self-titled EP ‘The Clockworks’ in 2022, gaining acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music and BBC Radio 1. With a sonic palate that pulls from seemingly disparate regions of the musical landscape, namechecking Daft Punk next to Pixies, next to Ennio Morricone,they are also influenced through their passion for film and literature. Lyrically, singer and lyricist James McGregor writes with purpose, integrity and emotion, balancing light with darkness and finding poetic intrigue in everyday life.

New album ‘The Entertainment’ was largely written and recorded in isolation and is a project that looks to loneliness and connection in its exploration of life in the modern world. The framework for the album came intuitively and fast, carving out a sonic landscape built around tension and release; moments of darkness juxtaposed with glimmers of light. A raft of cinematic inspirations were on the moodboard - Bladerunner, Drive, the works of Fellini – alongside cover art inspired by an old LIFE Magazine cover featuring the first theatre to show 3D films. Their second record is not so much a concept album, but more a ‘work of friction’. The band say;

“The whole album is filled with push and pull, black and white. There is such a conflict and contrast between everything. Even just recording the music, we did it all separately and then put it back together.”

“We had the idea to record in a way that was in keeping with what the album is talking about, and to try and do it in isolation completely. We wanted creatively to turn in and see what we could do, so then when we did bring it all together, the parts had all this tension to play with.”

“We had this really strong identity for the album from the start, which meant that we could then spend so much time on the details. It’s like if you have all the beats of the film, then you can tell the actors to go and improv between them.”

The Clockworks ended 2025 with a European tour with Johnny Marr, after previously performing at festivals such as Rock Werchter, Eurosonic and Electric Picnic. They have recently announced an 18-date Autumn UK & European headline tour, commencing in Leeds on 9th October and culminating in Paris on 8th November. Tickets are on sale now and the Nl dates’ below

November:

Wed 4th – Utrecht – Ekko

Thurs 5th – Amsterdam – Tolhuistuin