Basically, Clayton Brown is a guitarist with 14 years of experience who finally got ahold of some recording equipment, and he is excited to show off what he has made. He compose original music from scratch, and the only part he doesn't do himself is the audio mixing, which Velopod Studios in Austin, Texas does best! "Open Your Mind" is his first album, and now that he is more comfortable with navigating the actual recording and editing of it all, he already have a second album in the works which is going to be indicative of a much wider range of styles that influenced his music and made it what it is today.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Clayton Brown, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Well, I asked for a musical instrument one Christmas, and my parents decided that an electric guitar would likely be the most usable, which was a good call looking back. I got my first guitar when I was 8, and I'm 23 years old now.
How do you balance your time in the studio with other commitments such as a part-time job, family, admin?
I just barely find the time! I do have quite the dangerous day-job, and by the time I get home, I very rarely want to record, but if I don't, I'll never get these songs out of my head!
Your latest release is 'Open Your Mind'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
Absolutely - as a matter of fact, "Open Your Mind" was something of a last-second name choice. The album art depicts my silhouette swinging my guitar at a brain as a less-than-subtle metaphor to give me a chance. As such, I figured it wisest to cement the idea.
Where did you get the inspiration for this EP?
"Open Your Mind" draws from many influences whom I've heard over the years, taking elements of Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Metalcore, and Grunge. The idea was to take the fun parts of Alternative Music and make them a little friendlier - a little more accessible to more listeners.
How long did you work on the 'Open Your Mind'? Was it an easy process for you?
"Open Your Mind" was recorded, corrupted, lost, re-recorded, corrupted, lost, and then re-recorded one more time. It almost seemed like I wasn't ever supposed to finish the thing, but I did. This experience even gave way to a lyric in Pressure! ("...and I might have screwed my album up and lost it a time or two...") I can't recommend recording music to anyone who values their sanity.
How do you know when a work is finished?
It is said that a song is never 'done,' but an artist simply gives up working on it at a point, and I'm somewhat convinced that I agree. I'm constantly thinking up flourishes that I can add to my pieces and challenging myself to fit them in somewhere. Still, there's a balance between intricate and overwhelming that needs to be struck.
Can you write what was your best performance in your career? How do you remember it?
As strange as this is going to sound, the biggest crowd I've played in front of was a K-5 school when I attended there. I played a chopped-down rendition of Van Halen's "Eruption" for the talent show, and I remember looking up from the last whammy bar divebomb to see a bunch of kids trying to remember what 'rock hands' looked like so that they could hold up some devil horns in celebration. It's probably high-time to go play another show somewhere with more adults present.
How do you find yourself in the music business? When you started out in music, did you know it would be like this?
When I started playing music, I naturally felt compelled to write my own songs, and from there, I could hear the drums, bass, vocals, harmonies, and ambience all at once in my head, so I knew it was time to start making full pieces. If I don't record these songs as they develop, they'll eat me alive.
Who is your favourite musician?
Herman Li from DragonForce is my favorite musician and biggest inspiration. He is constantly pushing the boundaries of his skill set and redefining the genre in which he works. No matter what he plays, he's having fun with it, and I find that to be very inspiring.
What are your plans for the future?
Moving forward, my plans include waving this album in the faces of everyone I meet, releasing "Open Your Mind" merchandise with the album art on it, and putting the finishing touches on yet another album:
"Sonic Vacation," coming soon.