Today we’d like to introduce you to Clayton Hinson.
Hi Clayton, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Sun Valley Scarlet started as a side-project of mine during the 2020 lockdown. I had previously toyed around with making music for a couple years prior, but my end goal was to just put something out there and see what happens. After about 8 months, I released our first album, Dracula Theory, on all streaming platforms. Although it’s a little rough around the edges, I was not prepared for how much that album would change my life.
In 2021, I thought “hey, I should make this an actual band so I can perform these songs!” So I went into several different online forums looking for additional band members. Maude Moreno (rhythm guitarist) said she would join the band jokingly, but 5 years later here we are. Ethan Vera (drummer) joined in the summer of 2022 right before we played our first show. He had seen us at a random Rubber Gloves show and saw that we were advertising for drummers. In the summer of 2023, our previous guitarist left the band, and Ryan Miller (lead guitarist) joined. Ever since then, saying we’ve felt complete would be an understatement. Since then we’ve released an EP in 2024, and will release our second album, titled “Elephant, Not In The Room” in a couple months.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not a smooth road, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. The music industry has a lot of highs, and an equal amount of lows. However, that’s what makes every accomplishment we’ve achieved feel so special.
From venues shutting down due to increased operating costs, to friend’s bands breaking up due to one reason or another, the music scene is truly volatile. The most important thing to remember is why we do it. All of us in Sun Valley Scarlet have an extreme passion for creating and sharing our music with whoever is willing to listen. It’s always a good thought to hold on to when being presented with the trials of the industry.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Something I take a lot of pride in is that the music we make in Sun Valley Scarlet is all over the place. Every song can be labeled as “rock music,” but we don’t like to narrow ourselves down to any specific sub-genre. I feel like this makes every EP or album we’ve released feel like a unique experience, like you never know what to expect from the next song.
All of our music is self-produced at my home studio. We’ve definitely come a long way. Listening to our earlier releases is sometimes hard for us, as we are always thinking about what we should’ve done differently. But I think nowadays I’m thankful for how archaic our previous release can sound. It shows how much I’ve grown as a producer, especially when listening to our soon to be released album.
We are also very confident in our live performances. We practice every little detail for our live set to make sure every moment in our set will engage the audience. I can’t take much credit for how great our live performances have become over the past several years. Maude, Ryan, and Ethan have done amazing work and have taken it to a level I couldn’t have ever dreamed of.
How do you think about luck?
In regards to starting a band, I wouldn’t say that luck matters as much as knowing people. Going out to other band’s shows and becoming friends with other people in the scene is the absolute best way to get more shows and grow as a musician. I’ve made connections stronger than ever before through music. It’s truly a gift I never take for granted.
Sure, sometimes you’ll have “bad luck” and play to an empty crowd when you were expecting a large turnout. But the opposite happens just as often! We always take the good with the bad and keep our heads up high.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunvalleyscarlet.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunvalleyscarlet/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sunvalleyscarlet
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2kXs1uIrNUA3q3DEZDGlBN
