Clara Mann

Mann was raised in a village in the south of France. Church was an important part of the community, which eventually paved the way for her to develop an appreciation for choral music, as well as the chanson tradition of Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf. She and her family then moved to a village near Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England,^[2] where she enrolled at a Quaker school, in the southwest.^[6]

At age 15, Mann was able to pass her grade eight piano exam. She began teaching the following year, but despite these, classical music did not appeal to her. She hated performing, and "would get insane nerves" that her hands "would be visibly shaking." In contrast, performing her own self-written folk music for the first time, she was not anxious at all. This realization led her to turn down a place at UCL and immerse herself in the London music scene, living in a family friend's attic.^[2]

She started going to DIY shows in Bristol, where she was exposed to more alternative and contemporary musical influences, and from there experimented with songwriting. She caught the attention of Sad Club Records when she uploaded a few demos on Bandcamp. They eventually released her debut EP, Consolations, in 2021. Mann followed it up with the Stay Open EP in November 2022. Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear produced and contributed to "Confessions".^[6]

Mann released her debut album, Rift, via state51 on March 7, 2025.^[7]