Can you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your musical journey and background?
I was born in Louisiana and raised in Houston, TX and I’ve been playing and making rock n roll over half of my life now haha. I released my debut album in 2017 which was received well and even charted on the billboard heat seekers charts and since then my band and I including Zach Grindle on Drums and Zach Cox on Bass Guitar, have performed on national stages in over 40 states, and supporting artist like Chris Daughtry, Des Rocs, The Blue Stones, Paul Gilbert, Grand Funk Railroad and Robert Cray.
In 2021, I released an EP titled “Back to Blue » which gained #1 spots on the Roots Music Charts. Then the following year « Live in Texas » ,a 10 song album recorded live in Houston, Texas, was released and since then the band has hit the road heavily exciting crowds with a full tilt, energetic live show blending rock and roll and roots styles.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and style?
I grew up first falling in love with the guitar and was playing live in Houston as apart of its blues and rock jam scenes from an early age. Growing up I was consumed with primarily guitarists or guitar driven music. Predictably, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan really kick started my love for guitar and blues guitarists like Buddy Guy, Freddie King. All of whom are personal heroes of mine but not at all what kids in the 2000’s were listening to, haha. I was born in the 90’s and in the 2000’s I grew up parallel to a lot of hardcore and heavy music at the same time I was bumping “voodoo child” in my earphones down the hallway. As a result I love distortion and heavy guitars and intense drumming. Bands like Foo Fighters, Manchester Orchestra have been bands I often come back to and feel inspired by. At the same time, I still love blues, jazz, southern R&B treasures like the Neville Brothers or Allen Toussaint and Dr John. I’m all over the pace, truly.
Can you share a specific artist or album that has had a significant impact on your music?
Hendrix – Electric Ladyland was life changing for me. Additionally, I’m a superfan of a contemporary band called Pinegrove, which is way left field of my usual arena but I honestly love all of their albums and I think the presence of their music in my life over the last 5 years or more have really shaped some of my songwriting in this new batch of songs we’ve recorded.
What’s your creative process like when you’re composing or writing a new song?
Simply put I try to write everyday and when I have an idea that stands out to me, I’ll flesh it out then bring it to the band to arrange as a rock band.
What the actual setting looks like sometimes changes when I’m starting out. but the typical essentials are a guitar and some form of microphone to record into coupled with a notepad or a computer. I still write very barebones. Sometimes I’ll fire up Logic and begin a song as a recording project or sometimes I’ll take lyrics and fit them against different chord progressions or musical ideas. Either way, the only part I try not to change is the persistency. Don’t get me wrong, there are other elements at play in the process of pulling a ‘good’ song out of yourself but I think it is at the same time largely a numbers game. Show up to write yet another idea down and you might write one you like that day, who knows?
Among all the songs you’ve created, do you have a personal favorite? If so, what makes it special to you?
There’s always a rotating cast of favorites for most songwriters I feel. I’ll have to confirm that by saying “avalanche” a song we just recorded might be my favorite because of it’s honesty.
Can you share the story or inspiration behind that particular song?
The way “Avalanche” came about kind of speaks to what I was saying about persistency in songwriting. I decided to pursue finishing this song because it was another day and time for another song. I actually sat down to write it because I had booked a “songwriter symposium” style gig which is sort of like an MTV unplugged or VH1 storytellers format and I really wanted to bring in something fresh, new to me and really honest, something that stands up as a song lyrically and melodically in an acoustic format and I think that it really does. The song is about the loneliness that can come with chasing your dreams but also knowing you wouldn’t change a thing in the world because you’re thankful for the music, your family and friends. It was a feeling I really needed to feel at the time I wrote it and it rings honest every time I sing it now.
Let’s talk about your latest song. What’s the title, and what’s the story or message behind it?
‘The Lottery’ is again about ditching old destructive habits and appreciating the truly important things in life and not chasing the thrills that don’t amount to anything. Our friends, family, and the little things, that’s the Lottery, to me.
Share a memorable or unique experience from one of your live performances.
Recording our live album was a special night, we recorded one concert, all the way through, completely live. It was a hometown show and the start of a now yearly event called “Clay Melton & Friends” where we bring out special guests throughout the night.
Beyond music, do you have any hobbies or interests that you’re passionate about? How do they influence your music?
I’ve always got my nose in a book. They’re great sources of inspiration for writing songs. I think lots of musicians listen to vastly different styles of music outside of their tastes because it broadens your horizons and ideas and I view books in the same way. Especially when you’re focusing on lyrics. James Lee Burke is a favorite fiction author of mine.
Is there a dream collaboration you’d like to pursue in the future?
I want to cut a song with Des Rocs one day. We supported their tour with the Blue Stones in 2022 and I fell in love with their sound,
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians who are just starting their journey in the music industry?
First, don’t be so hard on yourself and just keep writing. Second, fully embrace performing live if you haven’t yet. I think it’s great that you can do so much creation and promotion virtually on your own nowadays between Logic and Ableton and social media. That being said, I think it’s easy to ignore the live performance space today if you’re starting out and I think that is a crucial space to be in to learn a lot of important lessons about the music industry early on. Start humble and just try to find opportunities to be on stage performing your music.
Can you give us a sneak peek into any upcoming projects or new music you have in the works? What can your fans and listeners look forward to from you in the near future?
“The Lottery” is the first single release from a collection of songs we just recorded in Barranquilla, Colombia with our longtime friend and producer, Sebastian Cure. We will be releasing more music this year and playing more shows. Follow us on IG and Spotify to hear more music!