Claire Rosinkranz
Article by Brittany Ormiston
Hosted by: 1824 - UMG’s creative solutions team
Claire Rosinkranz: indie-pop artist, thrifting queen, beach lover. She entered the music world at a very young age, and it is all she has ever known. Being from a musical family, she recalls her father composing and producing content for jingles, television shows, and commercials. He often would ask Claire to help him write, and she looked forward to those moments very much. “My first conscious memory of writing a song was when I was eight years old. Basically from then I found my passion for writing,” shares Claire. At the age of 15, she took her passion to the next level by writing and releasing an EP including the infamous track ‘Backyard Boy.’ To her surprise, the track went viral with over one billion total streams, and caught the attention of many well-known outlets. ‘Backyard Boy’ was named one of the ‘Best Songs of 2020’ by The New York Times and Billboard. Claire signed to Republic Records only a year later, and she has not slowed down since then.
Just last month, Claire hit a major milestone by releasing her debut album Just Because. The body of work is “a journal dump of songs” written from her perspective as an 18-year-old, and her father is also named a collaborator. “It’s a window into my world as I’m growing up and navigating life. Enjoy stepping into my lil movie,” states Claire. She describes the collection of songs as “coming of age,” and listeners are carried through the ups and downs Claire so effortlessly etched into all 13 tracks. Claire writes songs in the moment, which allows her vulnerability to always shine through with her songwriting. “I am very connected and wrapped up in everything I am writing about, and I feel everything very heavily. I think that comes through my music,” further explains Claire. The dark topics discussed throughout Just Because are accompanied by lighthearted production and sonics, Claire’s signature. She credits the playful, resilient production with pulling her out of the dark times, and helping to find her inner light again.
Claire utilized music as a way for her to process the struggles she was currently facing, which in turn brought her peace. ‘Sad in Hawaii’ was the first track that “created a domino effect” for the rest of her music on Just Because. The light bouncy song has the devastating topic of sexual assault hidden beneath. This vulnerable experience caused a lot of pain and loneliness, but she was able to utilize her song ‘Banksy’ as a support and confidant throughout that time. Claire goes on to depict other melancholic themes of losing a friend in ‘Polarized,’ and being overstimulated and numb simultaneously in ‘Jupiter.’ Flipping the narrative, Claire also entwines beautiful experiences with friends and flings in tracks throughout the album. She considers herself a very spontaneous person who is “everywhere all at once.” She wants to experience life to the fullest in every aspect, and ‘Swinging at the Stars’ captures this perfectly. “‘Swinging at the Stars’ is wanting to experience the abundance of being alive…” mentions Claire. According to Claire, the lyric “wanna be tired when I get to my grave” summarizes Just Because as a whole, and listeners agree wholeheartedly.
‘Swinging at the Stars’ is definitely a fan favorite, and the music video with her best friend Gavin Casalegno seals the deal. Claire is very much looking forward to playing it live when she hits the road next March. She may even add ‘Mess’ to the setlist since she has not performed the track yet, and it is “the most diverse off of the album but still ties in with everything.” If you have not listened to Just Because, go out in nature and dive into Claire’s debut record for an immersive experience. “I hope people can feel a little bit of everything while listening to my music, and I hope it makes them feel very full,” states Claire. Live, laugh, love Claire Rosinkranz.
