the james clark institute

Full of sardonic bite and heartfelt sadness, the new james clark institute record is an exorcism of emotions felt after a long term relationship went south. What began merely as a therapeutic exercise in the fall of 2005, ‘Sideshow Unattraction’ took shape in early 2006 after 25 songs had been written. Conjuring up the same spirit as John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’; Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’; Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’, this farewell record to a...

Full of sardonic bite and heartfelt sadness, the new james clark institute record is an exorcism of emotions felt after a long term relationship went south. What began merely as a therapeutic exercise in the fall of 2005, ‘Sideshow Unattraction’ took shape in early 2006 after 25 songs had been written. Conjuring up the same spirit as John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’; Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’; Beck’s ‘Sea Change’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’, this farewell record to a lost lover/friend was finally released in May 2008. Taking the sideshow theme one step further, James spent the late winter months of ’08 painting a full size 9’x6’sideshow banner reminiscent of the ones used in the vintage days of the freak shows. Incorporating several images and characters that are found in the new songs, the banner will be used as a backdrop for James’ live shows. Taking his alias from Toronto’s Infamous Clarke Institute Of Psychiatry, singer/songwriter James Clark confronts the ghosts from his past, puts them to song and twists and turns them into witty pop tunes. His strong songwriting sensibilities have been compared to Neil Finn; Elvis Costello; and Warren Zevon. While spending six years as the drummer for Toronto’s western Surf band The Sin-Tones, James was also busy writing songs of his own, some of which would eventually end up on 2004’s ‘Home is Where the Heart Attack is’. In 2005 that record received airplay on campus radio across Canada and charted in Ontario. Tracks from the CD also received considerable airplay and widespread recognition on internet radio stations around the world. The song ‘The Worst Photograph Ever Taken Of Me’ hit #5 on MP3unsigned.com operating out of the U.K. and the CD reached #3 on the Pop Album charts of MP3.com.au based in Australia.