
East London’s Ella Clayton follows up song placements in BAFTA-winning film “Sweetheart” and Netflix’s interactive game “Dead Man’s Phone” with her latest single, “Come Pass the Time”. Here’s the premiere of the live recording from Moonshot studios. Over Leo Wyatt’s rolling, fluid keys, Clayton’s voice is beautifully delicate and vulnerable and she delivers an emotionally-charged performance. Her words, cleverly-chosen, are equally full of feeling and heart as she reaches out with love: “We’re passing words like presents…Look at me now with my back to the wall and I’m reeling // I let my guard down, it’s a long way to fall when you mean it.” The video, filmed and edited by Amy Lauffer-Neff, adds to the intimacy of the song’s theme.
The song began as scribbled thoughts in Clayton’s notebook: the idea of exchanging words as gifts, being present and what happens when words aren’t enough. She explains: “This song is about being in the moment. Zadie Smith wrote, ‘Time is how you spend your love,’ and that sentiment shaped ‘Come Pass the Time’. It’s an invitation to be truly present with someone, even when words are no longer enough.”
After performances at Glastonbury and Latitude last year, Clayton recorded her latest album at George Ezra’s studio. “Come Pass the Time” is the debut single from the follow-up to her debut LP, 2022’s “Murmurations”. The combination of timeless songwriting, her introspective lyrics and her soulful vocals makes for a captivating collection of heartfelt songs full of promise.