Clark Paterson

“Experience builds character, says singer-songwriter Clark Paterson.” You have to do shit to truly write great songs.” Clark Paterson has done shit. From the family farm to the Chicago School of Folk Music; from the high-dollar world of Windy City real estate to seeing the world from a backpack; and from a string of dingy honky tonks to a home, finally, in Nashville, Tennessee, Clark brings worlds of experience to his 35 years on the planet––and to his third and latest record, The Final Tradition. “I’ve been around/ Tonight, I’m back in town/ Straight-up and battle-hard/ I’m parked in the neighbor’s yard”––“If I Don’t Win” Recorded in Nashville by indie producer par excellence Eric McConnell (Todd Snider, Loretta Lynn, Will Kimbrough), The Final Tradition is no sunny travelogue. Clark’s songs have real narrative force and reflect the darkness and raw energy typically found in vintage country and punk––call it Grindhouse Country. “I love the darkness and the fact that it’s polarizing,” says Clark, a writer who’s had facetime with the dirt and isn’t afraid to share that with you. “I swore I’d never take the fall/ You haven’t seen the things I saw/ Boxed my heart outta my skull/ I entertained them one and all…”––“This Dog Is Gonna Hunt” Assisting Clark and Eric are some of the Nashville indie scene’s grittiest players, including steel guitarist Paul Niehaus (Lambchop, Calexico), drummer John McTigue (Raul Malo, Brazilbilly), and Tim Carroll (Elizabeth Cook, Todd Snider). An experienced bunch, they know how to scream out of the gate, such as on “Kansas Saturday Night,” a scorched earth rave-up that would recall The Slits or Social Distortion but for McConnell’s atmospheric production. Songs like “My Hands Know The Touch,” a Crazy Horse-ish waltz, on the other hand, demonstrate that Clark’s friends can punch hard while deftly staying out of the way. “I got friends down the mines/ I got friends that work construction/ I got girls I think are fine wearing shirts that I unbutton/ I got friends out in Iraq who will always have my back/ I got everything I need/ I got blood enough to bleed”––“Hillbilly Shit” Clark was raised on his family’s spread near Sandusky, Michigan. “I never once was drunk in high school,” he says. It took Loyola University in Chicago to make that happen. After graduation, Clark took off for a few years with only a backpack and his guitar. “I became a backpacker-dude and had a good run. I’ve played country music in Eastern Europe, South America, Japan, Sweden, Finland and England. I've also been robbed, beaten, and deported. “Daddy’s favorite farmhand taught me about life/ Taught me about women/ And how to use a knife/ Taught me about sadness/ How to see it in the eyes/ The world is hard for living/ Makes us sacrifice”––“Moonlight In The Hills” Returning to Chicago, Clark got involved in high-end commercial real estate. He was miserable. Enrolling in the Old Town School of Folk Music, which has nurtured legendary musicians like John Prine and Steve Goodman, he continued working on songwriting. A move to Nashville seemed inevitable. “I wanted to play Honky Tonks and sleep in my van and talk to pretty girls and drink till my brain gets soft,” Paterson says. “We'all come from Wichita/ We go to church and we break the law/ Chase the moon out of the sky/ A little truth in every lie”––“Kansas Saturday Night” Since arriving in Nashville almost seven years ago, Clark has put out two other recordings: Songs For Another America, produced by Mark Nevers (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Laura Cantrell) and Walkin’ Papers, produced by bassist Whit Aldridge. Both show a confident artist who’s moving toward a sound; a sound that emerges fully on The Final Tradition. “In the road or in the ditch/ Poor as Hell or filthy rich/ Blow-out win or flat-out skunked/ This dog is gonna hunt”––“This Dog Is Gonna Hunt” Ultimately, The Final Tradition resists categorization. Clark, himself, resists categorization, too, although he’s happy to share his experiences. “I think the record has a sense of story and purpose that most current records don't,” he says. “I play guitar and focus on writing music that appeals to me and is not being done on the radio. I love old country because it’s earnest and has an edge and there is a narrative that is largely missing from modern music. I love the darkness and the fact that it’s polarizing. And I love 70s punk rock like Iggy and The Stooges, The Ramones, and The Clash. It has balls and a message and always felt honest. I also really really love Nick Cave….” “If your parents like your music, you’re doing something wrong.”––Clark Paterson Hey folks Check me out at http://www.clarkpaterson.com