French singer-songwriter, actress and filmmaker Clara Quilichini is set to release her debut full-length album, Insomnias, on October 23. Written over four years, the album captures the thoughts, emotions and personal experiences that kept her awake at night, exploring heartbreak, relationships, growing pains and the challenges of understanding herself as she moves into adulthood.
For Clara, songwriting has always been a way to make sense of what she is going through. The songs on Insomnias grew out of moments of emotional uncertainty, turning private struggles into stories that other people might recognise in their own lives. Rather than hiding the difficult parts, she approaches them with honesty, allowing sadness, humour and hope to exist side by side.
“This album is called Insomnias because all of the songs are about things that kept me up at night, whether it is heartbreak, growing pains, navigating relationships, or self-discovery, they all were born from some kind of emotional turmoil,” Clara explains.
The album also documents a period of significant personal change. Written across four years, its songs reflect the transition from young adulthood towards a clearer understanding of who she is and what she wants from life. For Clara, writing provides a chance to step back from difficult emotions and see them differently.
“Writing always relieves me and helps me take a step back from what I’m feeling in the moment. It helps me understand what I’m going through, sometimes laugh about it, and sometimes embrace the sadness, if needed.”
Musically, Insomnias moves between singer-songwriter intimacy, indie pop and folk. Clara draws inspiration from artists including Joni Mitchell, Taylor Swift, Laufey, Dodie, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, alongside contemporary songwriters such as Gracie Abrams, Lizzy McAlpine and Matilda Mann. These influences inform a sound that balances personal storytelling with thoughtful melodies and atmospheric arrangements.
Clara wrote and composed every song herself, beginning the process at home with her guitar or piano. She later worked with arranger Stéphane Corbin to select the final tracklist and develop the songs with a group of musicians. The album features Benjamin Corbeil on drums, Cléo Bigontina on bass, Vincent Urbaniak on acoustic and electric guitars, Corbin on piano and additional instruments, and Marie-Anne Favreau on violin, cello and viola.
The production allowed Clara to give each song its own character. She pays particular attention to how music can support a story, adding small details and hidden musical touches that listeners may discover as they become more familiar with the songs.
Vocals were recorded with engineer Raphaël Thiery, who also mixed and mastered the album. Clara later spent ten days in the countryside recording her own backing vocals and harmonies in a home studio. The experience gave her the freedom to experiment with layered voices, one of her favourite elements of songwriting.
One of the album’s standout moments is ‘Off’, which features a choir of twelve children and adults. Inspired by Clara’s experience with war, the song uses their collective voices to represent humanity, expressing both a cry for help and a message of hope. The same group also contributed human percussion to ‘Company’, adding another personal touch to the recording.
Beyond music, Clara has built a career across acting, filmmaking and voice work. Born and raised in Paris in a family of artists, she grew up surrounded by storytelling. Both her parents are actors, and she began working professionally at the age of four, going on to appear in film, television and theatre. She is also known for voicing Sadie Sink in French and previously hosted a daily show on Disney Channel France.
Despite her experience in front of the camera and behind the microphone, music offers Clara a different kind of creative freedom. As an actress, she often performs words written by someone else. Through her own songs, she can share her perspective directly and introduce listeners to the person behind the roles.
“Being an actress, I usually say words that other people write for me, and although I love it, I’m happy to introduce myself with this album and uncover who is behind the parts I play.”
Her creative interests also extend to photography and visual storytelling. Having studied filmmaking, Clara has developed her own approach to creating images that reflect emotion and atmosphere. Friends have played an important role in the album’s wider creative process, contributing to its visuals, photography and music videos.
Before Insomnias, Clara released her five-track debut EP, Cardiogram, in 2022, a project she described as an emotional waveform. The new album expands on that idea, bringing together four years of experiences in a more developed and personal body of work.
Ultimately, Insomnias is about finding a way through the thoughts that can feel overwhelming when everything becomes quiet. Its songs offer listeners space to reflect on their own experiences, whether they are dealing with heartbreak, questioning their choices or simply trying to understand themselves a little better.
“What I hope for with this release is that people hear something that makes them feel something, whether they laugh, cry or just feel comforted. That would be my biggest win,” Clara says.
With Insomnias, Clara Quilichini introduces herself as a songwriter with a story of her own to tell. The album transforms years of private emotions into songs that are intimate, reflective and relatable, reminding listeners that even the experiences that keep us awake can sometimes bring us closer to understanding ourselves.
Album: Insomnias
Artist: Clara Quilichini
Release date: October 23
Genres: Singer-songwriter, indie pop, folk
Written and composed by: Clara Quilichini
Arranged by: Stéphane Corbin
Engineered, mixed and mastered by: Raphaël Thiery
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