(Photo Credit - Strummer Jasson)
We interviewed the immensely talented Cat Clyde for an Artist Spotlight! Her fantastic new album Hunter's Trance just dropped. She puts a new spin on the blues and we highly encourage you to check it out. But first, check out our interview with her below!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
"I think I was always singing when I was young, and when I got into high school I started playing some guitar and was in a few bands. I went to College for Music Industry Arts, and that’s really when I started putting my snogs together and feeling more confident about my own stuff and focusing on turning it into something. I didn’t really have any expectations, and I don’t really think I do now either, I’m just kind of riding the wind wherever it takes me."
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
"I usually just write whenever I feel inspired. I just try to write as much as I can and sometimes something good comes in the moment, other times I try to sift through stuff later and put pieces together."
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
"My inspirations are always growing and changing. Early on I was really inspired by early blues and jazz music, and I feel that I always will be but right now I feel really inspired by Michael Hurley and Connie Converse."
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, effects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
"I have a 1955 Kay guitar that I really really love. It was given to me from a friend of the family, as he was elderly and couldn’t play it anymore. It’s definitely my favourite instrument, it sounds fantastic. I recently got a 1950’s tenor Harmony acoustic that I’m really looking forward to spending more time on. It’s a hollow body and it sounds really lovely. I picked it up in Grand Junction, Colorado coming home from a tour."
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
"I’ve been playing solo for quite some time now, and just recently started playing with a band, at this time I’ve only played one time with full band, but the vibes were real good. Playing solo, the vibes are usually very intimate and attentive. I love when a venue has character, and the sound is good. When the lights are warm, there is good art, or some textured curtains or carpets, it’s really just the best when it has true character."
6. Tell us about the writing, recording, and promotion process for your new album Hunter’s Trance.
"Some of the songs on ‘Hunters Trance’, were kind of old. I sort of collected them over a period of time and then chose these 10 for the final sequence. Recording was a long and hard process, but extremely rewarding and a lot of fun. I found this amazing Surf Soul band named Carlo playing at a bar in Toronto, and really wanted to have them as my backing band for the record. I started recording in Canada, near Lake Erie. It was winter, and I rented this small beautiful log cabin and built a studio inside. I was there with a producer for over a week, and then the band came for four days. We recorded all the songs and it was a really incredibly beautiful experience. Later, I decided that a few of the songs didn’t feel quite right, so I decided to go to Seattle and record at Bear Creek Studios. I spent two weeks there in July and I got a couple of songs done there, but not all of them, so about a month later I went to my friend Jeremie’s place and recorded in his country house with a minimal equipment set up and came out with the final songs. It was very stressful to try and find the right home for the unfinished songs, but I believe it all worked out the way it was meant to, and I feel very proud and happy with this record."