Cliffords celebrate outsiders and fight Irish stereotypes on powerful new single ‘Rod For My Back’

Cork indie four-piece Cliffords have released ‘Rod For My Back’, their first new single of the year and the first of more music planned for 2027. The energetic track challenges prejudice and narrow ideas of Irish identity, while celebrating people who feel like outsiders.

Singer Iona Lynch said the song reflects her experience as a queer woman who did not feel at home in traditional settings, and the way Irish musicians can be reduced to cultural stereotypes when touring in the UK. The band has been writing between Cork and Blackpool and is developing its debut album, which Lynch says will cover varied themes, including mental health.