Clay Newsom is an American pop singer-songwriter/producer from Walker, Louisiana. He is a 26-year-old musician that grew up in a family band and gained a lot of attention as a Piano prodigy playing mainly blues-rooted music. He has developed as an artist and kicked-off 2021 by working on a new film titled “Do You Remember” which is set to release later this year. Clay has also released his reggae influenced single, “Friday Afternoon”, his heartfelt “Deja Vu” and his newest single “Innocent Crime”.
The Man who inspired his Music Journey
Clay Newsom’s life has always been centered around Music. Being born in a family that is deeply connected in creating music has shaped Clay’s ideals in life. When he was young he was known as a Piano prodigy for his love of Blues-rooted music. He was able to meet and perform with some of the most renowned blues artists in the world like Henry Gray, James Johnson Jr., Oscar Harpo Davis, Jonathon “Boogie” Long to name a few. His dad, Jeff Newsom, was a huge part of the reason that he fell in love with music. Being in a band, Clay would see his Dad perform and entertain the crowd. He was very close to him and inspired him to pursue a music career as well.
From being a blues artist, Clay shifted his focus to pop music with influences of mainstream artists like Justin Timberlake, Charlie Puth and Jon Bellion. In June 2018, he released his debut single “Not Like Me” followed by his first EP titled “Confide”. He said:
“I’ve always loved writing and producing music, but recently I feel like I’ve had a breakthrough with my own sound and how I’d like to express myself as an artist.”
While attending Berklee College of Music, Newsom had the opportunity to grow as a singer/song-writer/producer and more importantly explore his artistry on a different level. But when everything seems to fall into place, sometimes life gives us the most unexpected experiences. In 2019, Clay’s Dad passed away and that crushed his spirit. His Dad was his best friend, supporter and mentor. Things became really difficult for Newsom but it was only when he dealt with it through music, that he was able to overcome the heartbreaking experience.
The Life lessons he learned
After the passing of his Dad, writing songs about him was Clay’s only way to cope with the situation. Slowly, he realized what life is all about. He realized how important each and every day is and that we shouldn’t take any day for granted. He makes sure to cherish the people around him because we don’t know what can happen tomorrow. This November, Clay is set to give a tribute to his Dad with his new project titled “ELEVEN22”. It is a collection of the most personal songs he has ever written in memory of his father. He is also determined to release new singles every month. Delighting his fans with fresh music that will certainly uplift their spirits. He also recently launched a series on his Youtube channel called “The Low Light Sessions” to which he will be posting a cover or an original song every Thursday.
Clay Newsom might be young but his life experiences made him mature both as a person and an artist. Even though he is an independent musician in the industry and facing many challenges with it, He makes sure to have a positive outlook in life. When asked about the advice he would give to people who shares the same experiences with him, he said:
“Spend less time overthinking and more time doing! Being an independent artist without a team is a whole bunch of work, a lot of late nights, and a lot of trial and error, but if you love it as much as I do then none of that matters. Just fall in love with the process and everything else kind of ends up making sense.”
With this kind of character, Clay Newsom is really setting the bar high for his music career. To know more about Clay visit his Website, Instagram and Youtube.