Photo Credit: Kanya Iwana
LA-based artist CLAY (she/they) creates airy alt-pop with emotionally grounded R&B roots. Today (March 2nd), she showcases that crossover appeal with her new single “WTSGD (with Alessia Cara).” The track is lifted off her forthcoming EP Breathing Into Bloom out May 4th.
A voice forged by the intersections of her multifaceted identity as a queer biracial woman, CLAY found the alignment between music and politics naturally. She had an unconventional upbringing in San Francisco, raised by a community of her parents and their friends. Their houses criss-crossed neighborhoods including her own in the Mission District, leaving space for CLAY to connect with the city’s multicultural and diverse community, and learn the importance of chosen family.
Tell us about your story as an artist
I started singing before I could talk and have always been a writer and avid reader but it took me some time to combine the two. I used to write poetry, short stories, essays, etc and books were my best friends growing up so words were really my first love. My singing voice is my primary way of expressing my innermost feelings, so being able to find the words to express the wordless sonics of my voice is always a revelation for me. I just want to continue to constantly evolve as a writer, singer, artist. I want to challenge myself to go deeper and share even more truths that I find in the depths.
What do you think is the most important aspect of your life right now?
Service. Trying to figure out how to navigate a capitalist world and industry without compromising my integrity or my roots and goals as a human being. I want to lead by example and challenge corporations, brands, etc to look at the impact they can make by giving back to the communities in need. I want to have an aspect of service in everything I do/release/create.
What makes this song special in your opinion?
Alessia and I wrote this song over facetime while in quarantine. We had already been friendly for years but have become much closer since writing this song together. I think it’s a testament to the content of the song itself and our vulnerability with one another. We both created a safe space from which this song was born. I think that’s what makes it so special, and I hope the listener can feel it.
What inspired this track?
We talked for over half of the session. About our experiences and our current mental state, living in quarantine. We have previously shared, with both each other and to the public, stories about our mental health struggles so as we were speaking, the content naturally drifted in that direction. The pandemic/quarantine brought a lot of those struggles to the surface for many of us it seems. We didn’t want to sugarcoat it. We wanted to very openly share how we were feeling in that moment. The lyric “when the sun goes down” came to us as we talked about how nights were often the hardest times.
What are some of the core messages here?
I would say that the last line of the song is something very important to hold onto/take away: “No matter how dark it gets, just as the sun does set, it too must rise.”
How do you think TikTok and social media are contributing to changing an artist’s career?
It’s pretty wild how much social media can explode an artist’s career seemingly “overnight” (though often there’s sooo much work beforehand that people don’t see). I think what’s really important as an artist is to make what you love first and foremost, from a truthful/honest place and never allow others to sway/influence what you love and create and what’s in your soul/heart. Recently, I’ve been trying my best to stay active online and to find the joy in creating and sharing content that is serious/thought through but also have been loving sharing/exploring my fun and playful side.
What excites you about your life?
My outlook. I’ve done so much self-work over the years that I just feel like I’m in a really good place. I still struggle and will continue to struggle with my mental health but it’s a deeply grounding feeling to know who I am. I’ve got me. It’s a liberating feeling that allows me to live my life in a new, open way.
What are some of your core values as a human being?
Justice, equity, compassion, gratitude
What are your projects for this year?
I have an EP called Breathing into Bloom, dropping May 4th, 2022 and I am currently working on another EP as well as an album, just in full creation mode!
