In the last few years, Imogen Clark has been touted as one of the most promising young songwriters in Australia, now on the cusp of wider critical acclaim with the forthcoming release of her debut album, Love & Lovely Lies.

Imogen’s music inhabits a place where different roots-based genres intersect and blend into her own distinct sound. There is the self-confessed nod to the folk influence that Joni Mitchell has had on her music, yet fast forward quarter of a century and the modern Americana styles of songwriters such as Ryan Adams and Gillian Welch have clearly also had a strong impact on Imogen’s own writing. That ability to absorb the old and the new is what forms the timeless quality of Imogen’s music.

“Take Me For A Ride” is the first single to be released from Love & Lovely Lies, and it showcases the sound she has been able to achieve right across her new album. Classic, chiming rock ’n’ roll guitar chords complement Imogen’s energetic vocal delivery, lifting the song into a soaring chorus built on an emotive alt-country melody and free-spirited optimism.

Capturing the pain and joy of entering adulthood, navigating the stormy waters of young love, the search for self-belief and finding one’s place in the world are all themes Imogen conveys with her richly melodic voice and lyrics. She has the ability to sound fragile and vulnerable and then, just as effectively; deliver lines that exude emotional strength with a deep and soulful resonance.

The range and conviction throughout her songs is what has already drawn many to Imogen’s songwriting and will capture the hearts and minds of new fans once they hear Love & Lovely Lies.