NOTES ON THE CORRIDOR

NOTES

ALONG THE Corridor

by RICK REILEY

A TRUE VOICE OF COMFORT K. C. CLIFFORD

I first heard K.C Clifford about ten years ago at the Blue Door in Oklahoma City as one of many artists performing at their annual Woody Guthrie tribute. I was impressed. She was very talented, personable and I assumed she was just another young, famous person I’d never heard of (there are many of them)! At the time I believe she was living in Texas and I was unaware of her Okie roots. I knew then I wanted to hear more about her. Her superb voice and the way she controlled it reminded me a little of Trisha Yearwood. Even though that’s not a completely fair comparison, it’ll do for now.

I’d forgotten about that night until I was searching for recent music offerings by Oklahoma artists and her name popped up a couple of times. So I looked and listened.

This album, her seventh, titled simply K.C. Clifford, released in February of this year, has been on constant repeat on my player for a week now and I see no sense in changing course.

The song I keep coming back to is that final cut on this project, simply titled, Salt.

Here’s the verse that grabbed me:

PeaceMay you know it well What the road will bring Only time will tell

Oh and hope - Let it be your guide Hear your own sweet song Welling up inside

May there be such love among you When one of you cries

Let the best of kindness find you May you choose tenderness Instead of finding fault

Ireached outtodiscovermoreaboutK.C. Clifford, singer/songwriter/blogger/essayist, and she quickly responded.

RR: Where are you from?

KC: Born and raised in OklahomaCity. Returned after timeawayin Indiana, Nashville, and Austin.

RR: When did you realize that music was going to be an important, defining partofyourlife?

KC: MyparentsjokethatI cameoutofthewombsinging. I wenttoamusicpreschool called MissHickman’s MusicSchool starting atagetwo. Itstill exists, and both ofmykidshavebeen through theprogram. Theearliest pictureofmeon stageisatage2½years. It’saPolaroid shotofmedressed asacatperforming in aHickman show in May1977. Asthestorygoes, all thekidsaround mefroze in stagefright, butI reached up, grabbed themicoffthe stand, and broughtthehousedown. I neverlooked back. Ashervocal skillsgrew, shelooked toward popular music as a vehicle for her talents but was discouraged because‘others’ feltshedidn’thavetheright‘look’ forit. She later attended college at Indiana University to study opera and though shebecamequiteaccomplished in herstudies shesaysin theend shesimply‘didn’tloveit’.

She moved on.

RR: What propelled you into writing?

KC: Atagetwenty, myinsideswere coming apartat theseams. ForoveradecadeI had lived alifein thelight, and alifein thedark. In themiddleofmyjunioryearof college, mytwolivescamecolliding intooneanotherin a fierycrash. Thebottom had fallen outfrom beneath me. I checked intotreatmentforan eating disorder. I wasvulnerable and exposed … During thistherapyshesaid, “I began tousemyvoice forthe first time, to tell mystory. The truth set me free indeed.” And itshows!

RR: When did you begin to play an instrument?

KC: First and foremost I consider myself a vocalist. MyvoiceistheoneinstrumentI feel I havemastered, and musicallyit’sthething thatoften setsmeapart. Although I perform on several instruments, theyhavealwaysfeltlikea vehicle for songwriting above all. Otherinstrumentscameatdifferenttimes, chiefamong them a vintage Martin guitar her father gave her when she was 21.

RR: Who/whatwereyourfirstmusical influences?

KC: My father is a bluegrass musician. He founded a band in theearly70scalled Mountain Smoke. Theyare notableforseveral reasons, butthemostwidelyknown is Mountain SmokewasVinceGill’sfirstband. Theyopened forKissand havehad wild thingshappen, likeplaying on theWhiteHouselawn forseveral presidents, being written aboutbyBillboard, and mostrecently, theywerefeatured and had asong licensed in Ken Burns’ 8-partdocumentary series, “CountryMusic.” Bythelate70s, myDad had lefttheband behind forthe world ofbusiness. Butmusicwasin hisblood, and in so much ofhowheraised me. Decadeslater, hereunited with the band and his love of playing. Theystill perform today.

RR: Tell me alittle about yourpath in the music profession.

KC: I continueplaying musicbecauseI feel likeI still havesomething tosaythat’suseful. Ifoneperson feels hopeaftertimespentwith mywriting and/orme, then it countsforsomething biggerthan thesum ofitsparts. That still matters to me.

RR: How did your live recordings at the Blue Door come about?

KC: I’vemadetwoliverecordsattheBlueDoor: Pockets Full of Hope in 2008, and Coming Bare in 2017. I consider theBlueDoormyhomestage, and I havesuch aconnection with my hometown audience.

Both of these live recordings simply seem to be a natural offspring.

RR: Andyourmostrecentselftitledrelease- K.C. Clifford?

KC: Thealbum isabouthumanity, and ourdeepneed for rehumanization. Thisrecording isunlikeanyworkI’vecreated. Forstarters, thesongsareall pianodriven. I am taking an intentional turn awayfrom thestrummy, guitar-based songsI’vebeen writing for24years. Forthefirsttimeever, the majority of the songs are co-written with my dear friend Daniel Walker, and featurehissuperbworkon thekeys. Thisrecord givesastrong nod tothevintagepianopopof the70s, and soundsnothing likethered dirt/folk/americana vibe I’ve been identified by previously. It is a definite departure. And afinedepartureitis! Here’sanotherlyricthatspoke loudlytome, No More Living Small -

If I run - If I fallThere is room for it all… No more living small

It’sasong aboutstanding upforyourselfcomehell or high water and claiming your own higher ground.

RR: Upcoming gigs? Regulargigs?

KC: Duetopandemiclife, performing ison hold fornow. I am aching deep in my bones to connect with a live audienceagain, buttheriskoflivesistoogreat. Sofornow, I let the songs stir inside.

To find out more I urge you to follow the following links.

Website: http://www.kcclifford.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kccliffordmusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcclifford/ TheGenerousKind: https://www.thegenerouskind.com/

Links to music:

http://www.kcclifford.com/store https://kcclifford.bandcamp.com/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/3nhvqhl1Mafy3i0278Bd9l https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/k.c.-clifford/id73257126