BORN AMDIST a time of deep reflection, Clap and Thunder release their single, The Only Way, on July 10.

The track is heavily inspired by “Juneteenth”, a day for black people to celebrate their heritage, their ancestors and that, to quote the great poet Lucille Clifton, “Everyday something has tried to kill me but has failed”. Timely and coincidentally released upon the commencement of the Black Lives Matter movement, the track bears great relevance to many conversations being had at the moment and offers its own valuable commentary from the perspective of the band.

The essence of the song points to celebration; the celebration of black heritage, Sheyi explains: “We are here. We made it. Our ancestors survived, and we survived, so we must rejoice”.

The video is a beautiful reflection of the track, featuring footage from the recent peaceful protests in London for the Black Lives Matter movement bringing to life the passion of the track and the public expressing the need for change.

Speaking on the need for change, Sheyi says aptly: “Needless to say the conversation we are currently having about race has got to continue because: “I knew then and I know now that, when it comes to justice, there is no easy way to get it. You can’t sugarcoat it. You have to take a stand and say: ‘This is not right’.” Claudette Colvin, Civil Rights Activist.”

Speaking on the track and it’s inspiration, Sheyi explains: “Some people write books about injustice Some people write poetry about injustice Some people write articles about injustice, I write songs about injustice. The inspiration for this song really came from ‘Juneteenthʼ, also known as Freedom Day. It is the day that commemorates when slavery officially ended in the USA.”

Matt also adds: “We’re just another voice among the many, and so it felt almost feels like the song wrote itself. It was inevitable in hindsight. We were locked down, it’s been a period of reflection and we were given the time to see glaringly obvious injustices surrounding us.”