Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Carlson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Claire. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been writing and producing music in some shape or form since I was in middle school. About ten or so years ago, I started tinkering around in GarageBand on the family desktop. Eventually, I transitioned to a cracked version of FL Studio and made these *extremely* awful hip-hop and trap beats for fun. I can remember having MySpace popped open in the background and going back and forth between my MySpace profile and FL.
I started uploading short tracks to SoundCloud, but wouldn’t leave them up for longer than 48 hours. I created multiple monikers for myself and changed them frequently. In these early days, I only had about 5-10 faithful listeners.
A few years ago, I met (my now close friend and mentor) Zander Reid, who runs a Texas-based music label/event and management company called PRIME. I showed him a few ideas and he asked me if I was putting them out on SoundCloud. I told him that I didn’t have the confidence to leave anything up and had never truly written a fully fleshed out track. With the encouragement of him and a few other people in the Dallas electronic scene, my “Clarity” project was born and I have been releasing singles/remixes under it for about three years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I am extremely blessed in that I have received an INCREDIBLE amount of love, support and encouragement from my friends and fellow industry professionals. I consider myself very fortunate to be a part of such a creative circle and am constantly inspired by my peers.
Arriving at the place that I am now both creatively and career-wise has largely been a smooth road – although with any creative endeavor, there are a lot of self-imposed mental blocks that you have to overcome. The biggest hurdle for me was realizing that no one would ever be able to discover my music if I let my paranoia and perfectionism about the quality of the tracks get in the way. In the beginning stages of one’s artistry, it’s easy to feel like everything has to be a magnum opus. It’s ok to infuse your work with lots of emotion and care, but in the early days, quantity is of extreme importance – you have to have serious consistency on the front end.
My advice for female creatives, particularly those in the music industry, would be to remain resilient and let your music speak for itself. I try not to let the fact that I am a woman have any influence over the way that I present my work or engage with other artists. There doesn’t need to be a disclaimer that I am a “female producer” or a “female DJ” – I am a producer and DJ who so happens to be a woman. I deserve the same amount of respect and credibility as anyone else.
Women – There will inevitably be times where men will attribute the recognition and support that you’re getting to your physical appearance or the fact that “you’re a girl”. Just let it roll off of you and keep it pushing.
We’d love to hear more about Clarity.
I am an electronic producer and DJ who primarily writes house music of all sub-genres. I try not to categorize my music too specifically because I don’t want to limit the music that I’ve yet to write.
Even though I’m only getting started, it amazes me that my music has somehow made it to clubs and car speakers around the world, from Australia to the Philippines and more. Being aired on BBC Radio 1 and featured in Mixmag were both huge moments for me (shout out to Kastle and to my good friend Cam Mussell for being fiercely supportive). As someone that never expected to really “do” anything with music, the love I’ve gotten so far has been surreal.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Develop tough skin and trust yourself. It can sometimes feel like the cards are stacked against you, especially in the music industry, but consistency will always pay off. It has taken me nearly ten years to land any sort of label placement/radio airtime/features with my music. I gave up numerous times, changed my moniker numerous times, and came close to never putting out a single track again. If your head and heart are in the right place, and you pour passion into everything that you will do, success will eventually follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.soundcloud.com/clarity-musicofficial
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/claritymusicofficial
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/clarity_sounds
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