Claud is the synth-y pop project of Claud Mintz, formerly known as Toast but was forced to change the name after Wonder Bread reportedly tried to sue, according to their bio. Their new single, "Never Meant To Call," which The FADER is premiering today along with the video, marks their first release as just Claud, a project a smidge more polished and sleek than the echo-y lo-fi sounds that defined Toast.
Their new track is a sharp turn into the disco-influenced pop that's been coming back into style recently, with a hooky, revved-up intro that feels like a jumpstart to an 80s-themed house party. It's exactly what happens in the accompanying music video, with an added touch of strangeness that made me grin. The track is about feeling like an outsider, and in the video Claud quietly wanders around the house party before finding their place dancing with a blow-up doll.
"I wrote 'Never Meant To Call' about the awkwardness of being on the outside looking in, but the video works to capture the beauty of that," Claud writes of the song via email. "I decided to embrace the lonely feeling of being an outsider. My friends made the video and my fans got to be in it, everyone helped turn this song into the ridiculously dramatic piece of art that it is.
