Interview with Zoe Clark

Chase Denton.

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Growing up, my house was never silent. My dad was either blaring James Taylor or Van Morrison in our living room, my sister was listening to Britney Spears and dancing, or my mom was listening to Carol King in the kitchen. Music was like lights in our house, we needed it to see. It makes perfect sense as to why I fell in love with music, because I grew up in a family who appreciated it and felt the power of lyrics. I started singing and was in my first musical at the age of 5, and then started songwriting and sharing my lyrics in middle school. If I wasn’t a musician, which I can’t even fathom, I think I would be a physiologist. Again, I love connecting with people through emotions and putting their thoughts into words. I love helping them feel seen and heard so I think I would want to have a job that focuses on the human psyche.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I think it is so important to have down time as a creative because it’s in that downtime that I come up with new song ideas and new goals I want to achieve. A lot of the hobbies that I picked up are (surprise surprise) creative.

I love hiking or going on long walks with my AirPods in and a podcast on. I’m currently listening to Jay Shetty’s podcast On Purpose, which focuses on changing our mindset and our perspectives. I love going on walks in nature because it is very meditative for me. Sometimes its the time where I’ll call my mom and dad, or catch up with a friend. It allows me to take a breather.

I love cooking. I recently have become quite the chef hahaha. I love trying new recipes and spending time in the kitchen! Again, coming up with new recipes helps with my creativity and uses another part of my brain.

I love reading. I have a book wall in my apartment of all the books I have read and will continue to read. I cannot tell you enough how reading helps with creativity. I love escaping into a new world and falling in love with fictional characters. I gain inspiration from certain books and have written songs based on plot lines and characters. It allows me to think outside the box! Right now, my favorite book that I truly think every creative should read is Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I love hanging out with my friends and just being a normal twenty something. I need to live my life and create new experiences to write about, so whatever shenanigans my friends and I are up to, it always helps with new songs.

How long has your band been around?

I don’t have a band, it is just me myself and I. However, when I play shows, I do have my favorite people who have played with me since I was a freshman in college that continue to play with me, which is so special.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I am based in Nashville, TN. Being a pop artist in Nashville is interesting, but I honestly think it has only been beneficial to me because my writing is so lyric oriented and Nashville is the city of music and songwriting.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

I loved playing at the High Watt in Nashville, TN. The crowd is intimate and full of life and it is my favorite place to play and see some of my favorite artists.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Dream lineup?!? Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, James Taylor, John Mayer, Zoe Clark. It would be the musicians that raised me and made me the musician I am today.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

I would tell a new musician to constantly play their instrument, to constantly write, and to constantly sing. I still spend hours writing songs and playing my guitar in the comfort of my apartment because I don’t feel like myself without it. I would tell my younger self to enjoy the journey. I get so caught up in the future and my goals that I forget to see what I have accomplished. I would tell her to remember to celebrate.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

I would tell my younger self to enjoy the journey. I get so caught up in the future and my goals that I forget to see what I have accomplished. I would tell her to remember to celebrate. Oh. and I would tell her to go to every single concert with her dad even if it's on a Friday night and she misses a party with friends. Some of the best nights of her life are at Madison Square Garden watching James Taylor play or even a small Jazz club watching Buddy Guy.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Last One Standing means the most to be because it was the first song I wrote where every single word was authentic, powerful, and genuine. It was the first song that I saw connect and reach millions of people, who truly showed me the power of music.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

I love to play the songs that are requested the most! Hot Mess and Last One Standing.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

I have a long page of song titles, song lyrics, or ideas on my phone. I also have so many voice memos you would think my phone would be out of storage. I always go into a session with an idea or melody and direction I want to take the song.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Fall in love with every stage of your life! Are you in your twenties and don’t know what you are doing with your life? Listen to Hot Mess. If you feel different from everyone else, listen to Last One Standing. My songs are about falling in love with YOURSELF and your journey.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

I am in the process of writing an EP so I have been in the studio almost everyday writing for it! These past few weeks I have written some of my favorite songs that I am so excited for everyone to hear.