Songfacts®:

• In our interview, Waterhouse revealed that "Is That Clear" was a song that he originally started writing in high school at age 15. Waterhouse was 25 when the song was released, giving it a 10 year concept-to-completion cycle.
• Waterhouse went on to explain that "it's a really simple song, but it's so simple you take it for granted. The kind of thing that you feel like has been done a million times, but you look around you realize, oh, nobody else did that." (Here's our full Nick Waterhouse interview.)
• "Is That Clear" falls in line with most Waterhouse releases - retro R&B sounds wrapped around a strong, personal experience or sentiment. In this case, the exact nature of what he's expressing is left a bit ambiguous: the lyrics, apparently speaking somebody Waterhouse is in love with, announce that "he won't."
  
  "I want it clear," he concludes. "Is that clear?" It's left uncertain whether Waterhouse won't put up with her any more, or whether he means he won't stop loving her.
• The song appears on Waterhouse's debut album, Time's All Gone. While recording the record, Waterhouse was swindled by a scam artist from New York city who offered to fund its production. When the money didn't come through, Waterhouse, rather than giving up, drew from his own funds to complete recording - often at the expense of food or rent money.