Today we’d like to introduce you to Clark May.
Hi Clark, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a vocalist, songwriter, and music producer. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing producers and writers in Atlanta, and I’ve even opened for blackbear at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion!
My first taste of music production was at an Apple Store in Peachtree City around 2011. They had a demo of GarageBand (Apple’s entry-level music software) set up with a piano/keyboard for anyone to use. You couldn’t have paid me to leave that room! I was totally enthralled by the hundreds of instruments at my disposal. I grew up playing piano, but with this technology, I could make it sound like anything from a violin to a drum kit. My family got a Mac, and I kept using GarageBand for years.
When I got to high school, I started writing songs and recording demos on my phone. I used to be very timid about singing in front of others, so nobody knew for a while. A friend gifted me a microphone (they thought it would be good for a podcast), and I started recording vocals for songs I made in GarageBand. I created 10 songs that weren’t very good, so I kept them for myself. I tried creating an album again, and this time I finally felt the confidence to share it.
I released my album “Green Screen” on Spotify in December 2018 (my senior year of high school) when virtually no one knew I sang or made music. I showed the songs to my parents and closest friends just weeks before, but other than that, it was a surprise. The response I got was amazing! My teachers played my music down the hallways, and my classmates told me their favorite tracks. Other singers at my school wanted to make songs with me, and over the next year I’d make the songs on my second album “Ocean Waves”. In my freshman year at Georgia Tech, I met other students who played instruments and featured them on the album. When it was finished, I didn’t know I picked the worst time for the album release: March 2020. With the pandemic, I didn’t get the chance to market the songs how I wanted to. However, with all the time at home, I got to work on a third album. We were let back on campus, and I got to share a couple of singles. I finally had an album that I thought sounded comparable to what was on the radio, and I released “My Tears Put Out the Flames” in August 2021. My college friends started sharing my music, and I heard about an opportunity to be an opening act for Georgia Tech’s Homecoming Concert. Now that I had upwards of 30 songs on streaming platforms, I felt like I could put together a great set. I auditioned and won the vote from my peers. In October, I opened for blackbear in front of almost 1,000 people! I was terrified, but everyone had a great energy and loved the songs! It was a night I’ll never forget.
Recently, my friends in the band Koyal told me about a songwriting camp from Atlanta Collective, a network of musicians building a community around the city. I spent the last 4 years making music almost exclusively by myself, so I jumped at the chance to work with others. At Camp Collective, producers get paired with 3 writers to make a song in 2.5 days. Then, they shuffle and do it again the rest of the week. At first, it was nerve-racking to be so vulnerable; we drew inspiration from our personal lives and had to try both bad and good ideas. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and that week I fell in love with the Atlanta music scene. I got to work at 800 East and Maze Studios, which are both incredible spaces. In total, we made 4 songs in 5 days! The amount of talent there was astounding, and I’m glad I got to connect with so many musicians.
After releasing 3 albums in 3 years, I want to take my time to make my next project sound as good as it can be. In this time between albums, I’ve grown my presence online and found new collaborators I enjoy working with. I’m always writing and producing, and I can’t wait to see where God takes me from here!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
One of my biggest struggles has been my confidence. I get frustrated when I can’t perfect something how I want. Before I had more practice singing, I was shy about it because my voice would crack, I’d sing flat, etc. I loved that I could tune my vocals on the computer; I could perfect that! The vicious cycle, though, is that if I never have the confidence to sing, how will I get better? It’s tough to put yourself out there with something as personal as music when it’s not a polished, professional project.
Another journey has been learning how to market myself. When I started music, I relied on the buzz around my school. It worked for a time, but I was delusional if I thought it was going to get as big as Billie Eilish’s debut. My second album came out in the pandemic, and my third album didn’t get the numbers I wanted. I would promote them for a week or two and then be disappointed when no one was listening. I fell into the trap of comparing myself to other artists, who by their third album, would be on a world tour. I’ve been a little more patient and strategic after my third album. I joined TikTok, and that has helped me find people that are connecting with my music. I’m working with similar artists and figuring out my sound. I heard someone say that whatever resources you put into making the music, put double that into marketing the music. I’m learning and growing on that front, and it’s been fun too!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a singer, songwriter, and music producer. My main genre is pop, but I also tap into R&B and indie/folk sounds. I love creating vocal harmonies, it’s my favorite part about producing music. It’s like figuring out a puzzle with which notes to layer together. When I get it right, and I recorded it, I’ll listen to it for way too long. There’s a video on YouTube of Ariana Grande in the studio creating the harmonies for a song – that’s what I want to do every day.
Because I kept it a secret for a while, I had to learn all the processes to create and release music. I’m my own producer, engineer, album artwork artist, social media manager, and more. It took hard work to learn those, and I think I’ve gotten better at all of them as time goes on.
I grew up originally wanting to be an animator, and I’ve found a lot of ways to combine those passions. I post a lot of videos on TikTok about music in animation, and the comments inspired me to recorded a couple of cover songs from cartoons. I love recreating these nostalgic songs that mean a lot to people!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
As soon as you’re ready, work with as many people as you can. Your final product will likely sound better with help, and you and your collaborators can grow your audiences together.
It’s better to slowly build a dedicated fanbase than to become an overnight sensation. You need time to practice if you’re performing, you need time to handle a bigger workload. I would rather my first time as a new performer be in front of 50 people than 50,000 people. Sometimes the long haul has its benefits.
On TikTok, I started going viral for content unrelated to my music. When I tried to post about my music, the algorithm only wanted more of what was trending. Learning from that experience, I started a secret project on TikTok that has almost 7,000 followers in my music niche. When I’m ready to release another album, I’m already going to be primed to target that audience. Posting a cover on TikTok once or twice a day can grow your audience so that by the time your album is ready, you have people waiting to listen to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/clarkmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clark.music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088225326300
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/clark_music_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLgIiU33BTgtqqWvZ-whrpA?sub_confirmation=1
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/clarknado
