Credit: Summer Howells
Just today, local indie rockers the Sonder Bombs released Clothbound, the follow-up to 2018’s debut Modern Female Rockstar.

Modern Female Rockstar, “an all-caps attack against a male-dominated scene brandishing a ukulele and dry wit as chosen weapons,” as it’s put in a press release, got the band out of Cleveland for relentless touring.

Clothbound, like the title suggests, weaves a different narrative—one of loss, letting go and “losing patience with losers.” If the first record introduced unapologetic sensitivity, Clothbound searches for the root causes of close-mindedness.

Produced in Philadelphia during quarantine with Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny, Modern Baseball), Clothbound highlights vocalist/ukulele/guitarist Willow Hawks’ “exasperated kiss-offs.”

“It really pisses me off when someone won’t admit they’re wrong,” says Hawks in a press release. “Especially when other people get hurt. Doubling down stunts the growth of your soul. I think as musicians with platforms, it’s our duty to be examples for accountability.”

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Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.