Keyboardist of Faith & Disease and front man of Shadow Light, John Clough, presents a debut solo album entitled The First Loss”under the new name, Johnny Forlorn. With story telling like lyrics, tenor vocalist, Johnny Forlorn offers a darker folk-rock style of album. Piano and acoustic instruments prevail and are accentuated by an all woman choir on many of the songs. Comparable to artists such as The Walkabouts, Angels of Light and Nick Cave, Johnny embraces the darker emotional side of folk music. Songs about love loss, death, and loneliness are all expressed through well-written and well produced recordings.

Issue 24 - Outburn: "This is the first solo release from John Clough (keyboardist for Faith & Disease and lead vocalist for Shadow Light), and a damn impressive debut it is too. His vocals and somber piano work take the lead, but he has also assembled an impressive band that does a great job filling out the eclectic sound that blends folk music with some wonderfully melancholic rock elements. Comparisons are difficult, but flashes of Tom Waits and Nick Cave, albeit with completely different vocals more in the vein of Gary Numan or Voltaire, come to mind. The real beauty of The First Loss is the piano melodies. The songs could be stripped of everything except the piano and it would still be a joy to listen to. The best cuts tend to be the grander, more intrinsically catchy numbers, "Only My Name Remains", "Going Home, and the jazzy send up "Hey Mr. DJ". But Johnny Forlorn can deliver quieter moments with skill as well, as evidenced by "Linger", and the pretty "In A Moment". The First Loss isn't a terribly complex or overproduced record and is all the better for it. These are simple, heart felt songs that let the beautiful melodies shine through and transport the listener." ~ Daniel Hinds

Fall/Winter 2003 - The Sentimentalist: "Johnny Forlorn comes to us in this new story teller incantation. It is always refreshing for a musician to come out of their shell and test out waters of a different temperature. Some of you may know John Clough more for his past work as the front man for Shadow Light or keyboardist for Faith & Disease. Johnny takes us along his own personal journey of death, love loss, and enchantment. This CD is rich in sorrow, as evident with song titles such as, "Only My Name Remains", "Going Home", and "The Devil's Lying Inside". Musically, Johnny Forlorn conjures up a bit of Nick Cave crossed with some long-forgotten sea shanty veteran. This is a new direction for Johnny and as with any new journey, sometimes your soul may get lost along the way. Come get lost with Johnny." --CD