Marking her first new music for 2026, Jem Cassar-Daley returns today with her new single and music video, ‘Clichés’.
Always leading with honesty at the core, ‘Clichés’ finds Jem in her sweet spot, drenching the pains of her past with the sweetness of hindsight and new perspectives. The accompany music video was directed by Corporate Giant (Tas Wilson) effortlessly captures the sincerity in Jem’s lyrics and the warmth of her signature indie-pop sound. As she stands on the precipice of her most exciting chapter yet, ‘Clichés’ affirms Jem’s position as a defining voice in music in 2026.
Jem says of her latest release, “Everyone knows the break-up excuses- needing space, it’s not you, it’s me, loving yourself before somebody else. 'Clichés’ wraps all of those common sayings we hear into one song. I wrote this song on my first writing trip to Nashville with Jordyn Dodd and Brock Buchanan in the summer of 2024. We talked about all of the ways we’ve been broken up with in the past and how sometimes you just want the honest truth- as hard as it may be. Visiting Nashville again was such a special experience as I spent some time living there as a kid with my family. All of the memories came flooding back- I shared stories with old friends and met some new ones along the way too! This track has really stuck with me since we created it, and I know it will be SO fun to play live!!”.
Since her debut in 2021, Jem has carved out a distinctive place in the Australian music landscape, earning widespread acclaim for her celestial vocals and evocative songwriting. Her rise has been marked by an impressive run of accolades, including the NIMA New Talent of the Year award and QMA Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2022. In 2024, she claimed the Queensland Music Awards’ Best Pop Award and Song of the Year for her standout track ‘King of Disappointment’, alongside the AIR Music Awards’ Song of the Year. She continued this momentum into 2025, taking home the Queensland Music Awards’ Indigenous Artist of the Year.
On stage, Jem has shared her magnetic presence as a special guest for Busby Marou, Kita Alexander, King Stingray, Thelma Plum, Peter Garrett, Tina Arena, Jessica Mauboy, Tim Finn and Dan Sultan. She has also enjoyed sold out headline shows throughout 2023, 2024 and 2025 along with a stand out performance bringing in the new year on the 2025 ABC NYE fireworks celebration national telecast from the Sydney Opera House.
A proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung woman, Jem weaves a deep sense of identity, emotional truth and cultural richness through her songwriting. Grounded in intimate and reflective storytelling, her music lingers long after the final note, with ‘Clichés’ being no exception. As one of Australia’s most captivating singer-songwriters, stay tuned for more to come from Jem Cassar-Daley in 2026.
LINKS
https://jemcassardaley.com/#music