Clinton Washington
Hi Clinton, welcome to Vents! How have you been? I’ve been great! I recently moved to LA from New York City, so I’m still getting adjusted but I absolutely love the city. It’s a different pace and vibe than NYC and the weather is amazing!
and who I am in this industry. Although this album is very personal, the drop of my last name is to create more of an identity. I’m working to simplify who I am in music. And to be honest, Clinton Washington may just be too long.
Can you tell us more about the story behind your latest track Hearts Beat Loud? I went into the writing process with rough ideas but knowing that I wanted to write something with a strong beat, something that moved and had motion was important with this track. I started playing some chords on the piano and humming along with a melody and started singing, “let our hearts beat loud.” From there, the only thing I could think of was this scene in a club where you lock eyes with a stranger and feel that immediate attraction. There’s almost this uncontrollable force that pushes you closer and closer, all the while moving to the beat of the environment. After working with my producer, Jeremy Gold, we finished the beat and lyrics, making them work together to create this vibe.
How was the recording and writing process? As much as I love to perform live, the writing and recording process is my favorite part of being an artist. This is where I’m most creative and most free to really live my art. I have no inhibitions. I don’t feel judged in this space. I do what I want and try hundreds of different combinations to create something I’m truly proud of. I shout at the top of my lungs and attempt subtle falsettos that either work or don’t work, but it’s all part of the creation. I’ve had the pleasure of working with some amazingly talented people who make the best music happen. Getting to work and learn from them has been incredible.
The single comes off your new album Clinton. What´s the story behind the title? Did you want to make a personal album instead of including your whole name you went with first name? I thought through many options and put together a few titles and graphics but just wasn’t quite sure I was headed in the right direction. I passed the ideas along to a friend who reminded me what this album is all about – an introduction. This album represents who I am as an artist and it’s my first, strong statement. I wanted the title to introduce me, set the tone for my music
I understand this is a concept album. What´s the theme? Great question! I’ll do my best to answer this with a more singular focus than just to say ‘relationships’. This is truly an evolution of love – the highs, the lows, and the in-betweens. We’ve all been there and we’ve all lived our own version of love, but I lived in a city with millions of people searching. Not only searching for love, but searching for who they are in a relationship. I love talking about people’s lives and (admittedly) hearing about the good and the bad. I love learning perspectives and seeing inside views of new love or broken relationships. Sure I’ve lived it too and I, of course, pull from those experiences, but it’s other people’s experiences I sink into and love to live
through vicariously. I imagine their worlds and build upon that. I think there’s something fascinating about telling someone else’s story in a way they wouldn’t have. How did you come up with the idea of making a concept album? By accident, I wrote hundreds of songs and combed through those I truly loved. I went into the studio with maybe three of them. As I started working through the studio process, I started realizing I needed a structure. I wrote some songs with an up-tempo and then fell in love with other songs I had written the night before. By the end of it, I realized I had created seven distinct sounds with seven different messages, but they all had one underlying principle – uncontrollable forces of attraction. We are all drawn to something for whatever reason, and in this case it was love; whether we are lost within it, lost without it, or lost because of it. here e se i you fin the ins iration or the son and lyrics? Whenever I go out with friends, my favorite is to people watch. Again, I just love seeing people live their lives – no judgment, no preconceived notions, just living the life they want to live. There’s something organic in stepping back and observing. I drew from immersing myself in other people’s stories. I either knew tidbits of a story or just witnessed someone living their life and expanded. I believe because I can dissociate myself from the story, I write more openly and expressively. What did you learn from your time in The Voice that
you are currently putting in action in your music career now? I learned that I have to trust myself in this industry. I went into the process of not being sure of who I wanted to be as an artist. I came out knowing how much I love to be in this industry, and if I want to succeed, I can’t be like anyone else. As an artist, we all play the competition game. We listen to an artist and begin to self-doubt. After being around 100 incredible talents, I realized I’m not like any of them and I don’t have to be. Do you have any plans to hit the road? I’d lo e to I’m in the area now so tra el dates are definitely on the horizon. I love performing, but it’s all about getting the right pieces together. What else is happening next in Clinton Washington´s world? I’ll be playing a show at The Viper Room November 17 and getting prepped for the album launch. Also, I’m working with a couple friends to release some new songs, videos, and content by the end of the year, so keep an eye out!