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Mar 02, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Brandon and Torrey Dudley

At the core of the rising Columbus Ohio-based indie band Clubhouse are the longtime friendships behind the five-piece. Max Reichert and twin brothers Ari & Zak Blumer met in a middle school garage band before being joined by Michael Berthold and Forrest Taylor in college. Following college, the band began gaining buzz with their initial singles before Reichert’s unexpected battle with bone cancer forced a year-long pause. They first returned in 2020 with a breezy new single, “Weekend” and the band have now shared their first single of 2021, “Heartbroke,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Hearbroke” matches the effortless summertime energy of “Weekend,” but pumps it up with an irresistible dance beat, handclaps, upbeat guitar work, and crystalline falsetto vocals. While it is ostensibly about heartbreak and the accompanying madness that can follow, the track is far from gloomy. In a lot of ways, that’s the exact appeal though. After all, there’s a lot of downbeat sad indie out there. Clubhouse instead sticks to their strengths, delivering relentlessly catchy and irrepressibly upbeat indie pop. Fans of other easygoing indie bands such as half alive or Hippo Campus should find a lot to love here.

The band says of the song, “For us, ‘Heartbroke’ isn’t just about one of our experiences with someone we loved. It’s a combined reflection from all five of us on those relationships that drove us absolutely nuts. When you love someone so much, but you know you’re going crazy trying to make it all work.” Check out the song below and watch the accompanying music video, directed by Hunter Lyon.