Photo courtesy of Catie Laffoon

At just 16 years old, Clara Lars collaborated with producer Chris Coady for her debut EP, Illusions, in 2022. Three of its seven songs - “Don’t Leave”, “Addicted” and “Hero” - made its way to MTV, SiriusXM and Spotify channels. It was only fitting that the two collaborated again for the follow-up single to Illusions, a track titled “Nobody’s Tired”.

For Lars, this song felt like a transition from her previous seven.

“Around the time that I wrote [“Nobody’s Tired”], I was reading Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden, where he talks a lot about moving to the woods and living off the lay of the land,” she said. “I thought, ‘there’s so much work, I’m tired of city life; what if I just moved to an island and ditched everything and everyone?’ Because the song fully captured the shifts in my life, I felt like it would be the perfect song to release following my EP.”

There was also a sense of urgency to release this song as soon as possible. Not only did it become her favorite song that she had ever written, but she found the writing process to be incredibly liberating. She said that the melody and lyrical ideas came to her all at once, and writing the lyrics to the chorus was a rewarding experience.

“Nobody’s Tired” was also her first chance to take any learning experiences from creating her EP and putting it to practice.

“While I was making the EP, I grew a tremendous amount as a songwriter,” she said. “I learned how important the revision process is. While first ideas and instincts can be valuable, I’ve learned to be patient and to build upon my ideas. I feel like my writing and my music are maturing.”

Working alongside Coady again gave her a comfortable space to continue to learn and grow as a songwriter. They have already established a musical connection, and this time around, get to really join forces to create their best song yet.

“He’s really great at creating a collaborative environment within his music production process where he genuinely takes my ideas to heart while also introducing amazing ideas of his own,” Lars said.

The song begins slowly over a soft bed of single-note synth and a gentle bass before the chorus' dramatic burst of lyrics explores feeling overwhelmed and the subsequent desire to escape.

It is important to Lars that listeners find the yin and yang of “Nobody’s Tired”. For the slower parts of the songs, she hopes they will feel less alone. For the faster parts, she hopes they catch the humor and sarcasm that makes the song all the more enjoyable.