Imogen Clark transforms her stories into inspiring life lessons on ‘The Art of Getting Through’

Recommended Tracks: “Squinters,” “Stopover,” “Sebastian”
Artists You Might Like: Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, Faye Webster

As always, when you overcome one hurdle in your life, you will have another one waiting for you in the distance. Just when you thought that you were in the clear, the universe tells you otherwise. It’s not exactly fair, to get through one obstacle just to deal with another, but that’s life – it never takes a break. The older you become, however, the easier it is to navigate all that comes your way. Some might even reach a point where their techniques turn into an art form – just ask Imogen Clark. On the Australian indie artist’s new album, The Art of Getting Through, Imogen transforms her emotional baggage and overwhelming feelings into a work of art. By doing so, she offers listeners inspiring life lessons about breaking away, trusting yourself, and finding love, which can be useful when faced with that next great challenge.

Throughout The Art of Getting Through, Imogen touches on the value of breaking away, whether it’s from places, people, or thoughts that hold you back. On the opening track, “If I Want In,” she describes life in a small town, where everyone she knows “is either married or in rehab.” Encouraged by twinkling pop rock riffs and warm guitar strums, she drives home the fact that, “If I want in, I gotta get out,” knowing that she needs to go against the norm if she wants to live her dream. If not, she would always wonder what could have been, as she sings on “Squinters.” On this reflective ballad, Imogen imagines herself still stuck in her hometown and how different her life would have been. With a downhearted spirit, she sings, “When I was a girl / I used to dream / Now all I do is sleep,” and asks, “Why did I take a left turn? / All it gave me was heartburn,” wishing she did more to get out. And even if she doesn’t know where to start or has no idea how things will turn out, her drive will get her there. She breaks this down on “The Last of Me,” a piano-driven track that focuses on perseverance. It has a feel-good vibe to it, enhanced by lines like, “You haven’t seen the last of me yet,” which reminds listeners to never stop fighting.

In order to break away, you need to trust yourself. It all starts with doing what is right for you, which can be a complex process. On “Silhouette,” Imogen stresses the importance of being your own kind of beautiful. Over the high energy pop beats, she delivers these vocal lines that rise and rise, bringing us to an empowering place. She reassures fans, “I know you’re so afraid that you’re taking up space / No way, you don’t wanna be saved / But I want you to know that kind of beauty’s a lie,” telling them that there is no need to follow impossible beauty norms. Imogen then gets sassy on “Natural Predator,” where she discloses all she needs to do to feel safe on a night out. She relies on her instincts, singing, “I’m not suspicious / I’m just a woman,” and claims that there is always more going on than meets the eye. For instance, she shares, “Everybody knows that we’re hanging out / My friends say it’s all I talk about / I showed them your photograph and full name / You think it’s cute, I think it’s strange,” giving us two different interpretations of the same story – one where she tells her friends who she is with in case something happens, the other where the other person thinks Imogen is just showing them off. In the end, she does what will put her at ease, which is most important.

Once you can trust yourself, you can better embrace or reject love. There are times on The Art of Getting Through when Imogen follows her heart, leaning into the good and bad consequences. On “Stopover,” she is ready for a relationship to come to an end. Throwing in clever plane and travel references like, “I’m tired of doing all the saving / When I’m not your final destination,” “Babe, I’m the end of the line / I’m not your stopover,” and “I’m not gonna settle for / First class,” Imogen prepares this other person for a new flight without her. With unapologetic vocals, she explains, “I’m not your therapist or / Your teacher or your mother / I won’t give you my best if / You give it to another.” She changes her tune, though, on “Sebastian,” which follows. Over the playful rhythms and invigorating textures that result from them, she recalls how badly she wants someone who is already taken. We know how hard it is for her to stay away from Sebastian, as she sings, “I can’t shake the feeling that I’m cursed / I just wish that I had met you first,” doing her best to resist what her heart wants. In the end, she shares, “I am so in awe of you / I just hope that she is too,” making peace with her decision. But regardless of whether she is dealing with new love or heartbreak, it is important to experience both. Imogen tells us in the closing ballad, “If Your Heart Never Breaks,” that one cannot come without the other. In the end, “You won’t know who you’ll be / If your heart never breaks,” implying that these experiences help shape you as a person.

With The Art of Getting Through, we join Imogen as she overcomes the obstacles and issues that pop up as she makes her way through life. We hear about how she was inspired to leave her hometown behind to follow her dreams, coming-of-age situations that made her trust herself, and moments when she had to let love into or out of her life. She sets these stories to warm pop rock reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, transforming them into pure works of art. As a result, she leaves us with inspiring lessons, such as the ones we hear in the title track: “It ain’t nothing like the movies / It’s out of sync and black and white / You’re lower than you thought you could be / Then you’re higher than a kite.” Basically, there will always be ups and downs, but in time, you will learn how to get through the more colorful aspects of life and leave your own work of art in return.