Interview with Stacy * Clark- part 1.

This week I interviewed singer/songwriter extraordinaire Stacy*Clark. You may remember I spoke highly of her in a recent blog. Her music is, in her words, "a blend of folk with electronic ambiance." I think that describes it well. Stacy has been super nice to me since the show, so I decided to try something a little different with her interview. I'm going to feature her two weeks in a row. She had plenty to say in her interview, so now we'll get two weeks of Stacy*Clark coolness. Enjoy part one of the interview, and be sure to visit Stacy at the links below.
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Brax: How did you get started in music, and how should one pronounce the asterisk in your name?

Stacy*Clark: I have always had a drive for music. Since I was young, I just loved singing and writing poetry. That escalated into writing songs, playing guitar and gigging. Music is my addiction and I can't stop creating or I feel incomplete. Per my name, the * is silent.

Brax: What music project are you currently working on?

Stacy*Clark: Right now I am just working on shaping some songs. I have the songs done for the record. However, there are others that I want to be perfect that I am working hard on to possibly make the new record. I will be recording a new full legnth in Venice Beach, CA July thru August.

Brax: What makes your music special?

Stacy*Clark: If the listener can connect with the lyrics I write or the music I create on a personal level, I feel that is what makes it special. The market is saturated with so much crap and I feel everything's already been done before. So by me being myself, that is the best thing I can do. If people like it, awesome. If not, I understand. I don't like everything I hear and cannot expect others to.

Brax: What are your favorite bands to see live, and why?

Stacy*Clark: Fleetwood Mac, Jimmy Eat World & Minus the Bear. To me there is no better band to see live then Fleetwood Mac. They are so good live, its unreal. The chemistry and passion for the music, the life that they had lived and are living just radiates from the stage. There is so much love and history there. I shed a tear each time I watch them. Not a tear of sadness, but one of happiness. Their lyrics, melodies, and music is just mind blowing.

Another band that I have seen many times and truly enjoy watching is Jimmy Eat World. This band is special to me because I have looked up to them as role models. I say this because through their career they have had ups (been signed), and downs (been dropped) and still did what they loved to do and were successful at it. I saw them play smaller venues back in the 90's and still go see them today. Their Clarity tour was amazing. To replicate that album live and be so in tune with another is something that only years of being a band can create. I recommend their DVD video "Believe in What You Want." I respect them so much that I named my music business after a lyric in their song "One Small Instrument." I feel that those three words can take on so many different meanings.

A band that I recently started listening to is Minus the Bear. I was on tour in Florida when I heard their music and really liked it. When I got back from tour, I was in LA and drove past the Henry Fonda Music Box Theatre and saw they where playing there. So I bought 2 tickets and took my friend there for her birthday. We ended up getting backstage passes to the sold out show and it was the best live performance I have seen in a long time. They had these huge balls filled with confetti and at the end of their set used their guitars to slash them open. Confetti flew everywhere. I felt like I was in, or watching, a video game and it was amazing. Not to mention their music and beats are incredible.

Brax: Describe your best and worst live shows ever.

Stacy*Clark: The best ones are those where we have a good sound check and I can hear myself. The sound man is like a referee. They can make it or break it for you. One of my favorite performances was this past year performing at the Town Ballroom in Buffalo, New York opening for Jacks Mannequin. Although I was not playing with my band, I really enjoyed that show because my mom was backstage and got to experience it with me. The worst is where you can't hear yourself in the monitor and you're basically trying to do your best but not sure how you sound. As we progress, we're going to hire a 4th member - a sound guy.

Visit Stacy*Clark:
www.myspace.com/stacyclark
www.stacyclark.net
Tell her Brax sent you!
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Thanks to Stacy*Clark.
Check back next Wednesday for the exciting conclusion of her interview.

Brax.