01 October 2013 - 0 Comments

After 12 months of brewing anticipation,New Zealand’s Got Talent 2012 winner Clara van Wel is set to release her debut, self-titled album on October 25^th.

Since winning the show, Clara has spent the past year perfecting her craft and honing her talent with fine and absolute detail - determined not to release her material until she felt comfortable that she had developed her best work.

Clara began singing aged 4 and tinkering on a piano aged 7. She began plucking on chords when she got her first guitar on her 10th birthday.  An avid reader, passionate about words, she began writing her own songs almost immediately. So it doesn’t come as a suprise to her tight-knit family and community who know her so well, that she personally wrote all of the tracks on the album – an incredible feat for a 16-year old.

Clara’s new single Wait For Me features on her debut album, one she co-wrote with Don McGlashan who also produced it alongside acclaimed producer Joel Little (Lorde, Kids Of 88).  This follows on from Clara’s winning song, Where Do You Find Love, released soon afterwards, debuted at number 3 on NZ Singles Top 40 Chart and certified gold within two weeks.

“Being on the verge of releasing my first album is just incredible - it's a huge step, especially in terms of my song writing. In the past, people have only heard little bits of my music, but now I've got something much more full and varied to give them! The whole album follows the vein of first experiences, and stepping into the world for the first time. I can't wait for everyone to hear it, it's something I'm really proud of,” says Clara.

Until December 2012 she was largely unknown outside Marlborough, but her first place in New Zealand’s Got Talent catapulted her into the national psyche. The show got the highest television ratings in a decade, with almost a million people tuning in to the final.

But recognition came before winning the national talent show on television. Clara won the regional final of SmokeFree Rockquest in two successive years - 2011 and 2012. In 2011, aged 13, she performed her original songs Closer and Living a Life, and in 2012 she performed her songs For A Moment and What Else Is There? She had already won two local competitions, Marlborough’s Got Talent in 2010 and Blenheim’s Stars In Your Eyes in 2011.

Her musical influences began with Hayley Westenra, then moved to Bic Runga, Tracy Chapman, Adele, and beyond. She’s currently listening to Taylor Swift, Birdy, Daughter, Regina Spektor, the Paper Kites, and Emily and the Woods.

‘WAIT FOR ME’ IS AVAILABLE DIGITALLY NOW - http://bit.ly/ClaraWFMsingle

‘CLARA VAN WEL’ WILL BE RELEASED DIGITALLY

AND THROUGH ALL GOOD RETAILERS ON OCTOBER 25^TH

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