‘Artery’…yesterday’s sneak peak single is the intro to CLAY’s upcoming EP Breathing into Bloom expected later this year. The LA based artist paints with her vocals, and a carefully arranged bouquet drips quietly into soulful melody. A bouquet often found breathing at Tara.
Breathing into Bloom… how would you describe your upcoming EP?
This is the first body of work I’ve created that really feels cohesive. The title, Breathing into Bloom conceptually is about accepting that healing is a process, one that has many phases and breaths. Each song is a different exploration along that journey. It all culminates in the final lyric from the song When the Sun Goes Down, “no matter how dark it gets, just as the sun does set, it too must rise.”
When did you start making music?
I started singing before I could talk. I would line up my dolls and perform for them in my living room. I always loved singing. I would write short stories, poetry, essays, etc. I didn’t connect the two until I was about 18 and wrote a song about cutting my hair, letting go, and being free (definitely on brand for me, haha). I have been writing my own songs ever since, relishing in the feeling of being able to express my innermost thoughts in an art form that can be shared.
What was it like growing up in San Fran?
I loved growing up in the city. It’s since changed immensely, but when I was growing up there it was so rich in culture and history. I would take the bus everywhere, to school, friend’s and family’s houses, or just to get off in a random neighborhood and walk around/explore. People watching has always been my favorite thing. I enjoy watching the neighborhoods change and watching the people come and go with their different greetings, clothes, items, and conversations. These are probably some of my most vivid memories as a child/teenager. I was not only raised by my parents, but their friends, my friend’s parents, and a few key teachers and confidants along the way. So many people from different walks of life cultivated my growth. This multicultural upbringing instilled in me a sense of community, and the importance of giving back.
Aside from singing, what would you say are some things that you really enjoy?
I love to read! I love to write, just to write…for no set purpose. I love to be outside in nature. I love to cook and occasionally bake, but sometimes my impatience destroys my potential…pastry chef is nowhere in my future! I love curling up and watching a good movie or show. I have also learned to thoroughly enjoy the art of doing nothing.
If this upcoming EP was a color, what would it be?
Ooooo! I think each song has a different color. Let’s just say it’s a rainbow…for the gays 🙂
Do you have a favorite book?
All of Maya Angelou’s autobiographies and my favorite book to gift other creatives…Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke.
Do you ever get writer’s block when composing your lyrics?
Yes, absolutely. Sometimes I have to put down a song and pick it back up as the ideas flow in and out. I can’t force the lyrics to come. I just have to create the right environment for them to write themselves.
Your pet peeve?
I have a LOT!! Gum popping is number one. “If you pop that gum one more time” from the Cell Block Tango is me.
The best advice you’ve ever received?
“You don’t get enough time here not to be yourself.”
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