CLAY
Giving Yourself Grace & ‘Breathing Into Bloom’
ARTIST Q&A
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ARTIST Q&A 〰️
By Lulu Moore
CLAY ‘breathing into bloom’ Cover Art / Click to Listen
LA-based singer and songwriter CLAY coats her pop/R&B sound with sprinkles of bittersweet soulful riffs. On May 4th, the artist released their latest project titled ‘Breathing Into Bloom’. The holistic and multi-genre EP explores CLAY’s personal experiences with mental health and unrequited love. Since her debut single in 2016, CLAY has grown a following of over 17M streams across 520K+ monthly listeners on Spotify.
Raised in the Bay Area by her parents and their friends, CLAY’s quivering vibrato seems to reverberate the importance of community and chosen family. Her project encompasses themes of unity, love, perseverance, and personal growth. Seeing as growth exists only with a side of pain, her latest EP embodies a bruised search for liberation through the beauty of music.
CLAY’s multifaceted identities as a queer and biracial woman shine a light on the depth of life’s intersectional experiences. CLAY encourages a practice of radical vulnerability as she walks us through her own healing, creative inspirations, formative experiences, and collaborative efforts.
CLAY! Thank you so much for speaking with us today, and congratulations on announcing May 4th as the official release date for your sophomore EP, “Breathing into Bloom”. What does this project represent to you in your journey as an artist?
Thank you! It feels like a big step for me as an artist in finding and creating my own sound, writing style, world, etc. This body of work really feels cohesive.
What lessons do you hope the listener will take away from the EP?
I hope more than anything that listeners can find some healing. I feel like I was opening up wounds and being honest and open with myself while I wrote each song which helped me heal as well. I hope that listeners can feel the depth of that and attach their own experiences to each song/feeling.
Can you walk us through how you became interested in music? Who were your earliest influences, and was your community supportive?
I have been singing since I was two years old. I feel like my voice is the thing that chose me, so it’s just been a life of figuring out how to best use it. The songwriting and the interest in production came much later. I am very grateful to say that I had so much support from my family and community through every phase.
Photo Credit: Kanya Iwana
Which life lessons did you manage to capture in “Breathing in Bloom”? How does the album highlight your growth, both as an artist and as a human being?
I tried to just let whatever I wanted flow out in the songs. This body of work is definitely a marker of my growth as both a human being and as an artist. I spread my wings and let my inner musings, insecurities, feelings, and fears pour out into the songs. I seek to continue to open myself up even more in future works.
On TikTok, you joke about how people don’t ask you out because you’re a queer femme woman. Can you briefly touch on that struggle for those who are unfamiliar?
TikTok is a fun and silly place and I’ve come to love it very much! I am super duper femme and love being high femme presenting. People however have certain notions of what queer people are meant to look like and I think because of that, I am seldom perceived as being queer. I tend to only go to queer spaces though!
What are the qualities you are attracted to in another person? More importantly, what are the qualities you love about yourself?
I love people who are themselves, unabashedly. It’s always so inspiring to me when people are able to be free in who they are and operate from a place of integrity. I feel that way about myself, and love who I am, even when my self-doubt comes in waves.
What is some advice you would give to someone who is either questioning their sexuality? What about someone who is having a hard time navigating their mental health?
I think it’s very very important to go easy on yourself. Everything these days is so fast-paced, (social media being the main culprit of this) that there is so much pressure to perform and present and I think there is something so special about taking your time, taking time off. My sibling often says the phrase “give yourself grace” whenever I am going full speed ahead and overwhelmed and I hear their voice in my head often in moments of chaos. So, whatever you’re going through and struggling with, “give yourself grace,” lean on your community, ask for help, and take time for your own self-sans distractions.
You and Alessia Clara collaborated together on “WTSGD” and you’ve been friends for a while. Where did that friendship begin, and what will you take away from working with her professionally?
The friendship began some years ago, and it’s one that I am very grateful for. It’s so important to have allies and friends, especially in a business like the music industry. I loved working with her, she is such a genuine, talented force who I am constantly inspired by.
You share that Donald Trump was your inspiration for “Orange”. Are there other songs of yours that have fun origin stories?
Breathing into Bloom, not only the title of the song but also the EP itself, was inspired by an Instagram caption. Someone commented “I hope this is a song you’re writing” and it sparked the idea to write the song!
Why do you make music? And what does your unique musical process look like?
I make music out of necessity. It simply pours out of me. I always explain my process as if something/someone is whispering the song in my ear and I am simply the vessel.
If you weren’t creating, what other career path would you be interested in exploring?
I would explore advocacy work of some kind, not sure specifically which field… something to think about.
Who are some of the artists who inspire your music, and why?
I love Stevie Wonder, Prince, Paul Simon, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Earth Wind & Fire, and so many others, I just love music that has soullllll.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced being an independent artist? What are the advantages that make being independent worth it?
I am grateful to have the creative autonomy that being an independent artist gives me. It’s definitely challenging on the visual side because I work with much smaller budgets than I would if I were with a label, but the autonomy and ownership mean a lot to me, energetically/spiritually.
Why are the arts important, and what does being a successful artist mean to you?
Art in all its many forms is a way for people to learn, grow, communicate, connect and heal. It’s a natural and essential part of human existence. I am so grateful to have art pulse through me and to be able to make art that can be shared, listened to, transformed into whatever is needed for the listener. Being able to make music that heals people is what counts as success to me.
Lastly, what should fans expect from you in the future?
I am currently working on another EP to be released this year! Stay tuned.