Sarah Clanton

This singer-cellist-songwriter strums, bows, picks, and taps through stories of hope and heart, pulling you into the moment by the collar and not letting go. Classically trained but now playing out of the “box,” Clanton’s vocals transcend from moonlit-night to house-on-fire, with a tone that blends smoke with sunlight, landing somewhere between Nina Simone and Norah Jones.

After graduating Furman University in 2007 with a degree in Music and Communication Studies, Clanton stayed in Greenville, South Carolina and continued playing classically in orchestras, while touring with bands as a hired gun. She worked random jobs and taught cello lessons, all-the-while exploring and finding her voice in nontraditional ways of playing and singing with her cello. When she was not on the road touring solo or appearing with artists like Edwin McCain, The David Mayfield Parade, Ben Sollee, Mindy Smith, and Richard Leigh, she was organizing a 19 week, Saturday solar powered festival called Music in the Woods. Clanton's diligence caught the attention of the Cirque Du Soleil, who invited her to audition for a lead role (right before she had decided to make the move to Nashville in 2014).

Sarah's purple hair-tossing, sultry-yet-electric performances - an exercise in musical abandon - became audience favorites. In 2012 Clanton facilitated a successful Kickstarter campaign to record her first full-length recording. Her first self produced project upon arriving to Nashville, a 2015 self-titled EP, included “Tequila”, one of her favorites. It is an original, co-written by Clanton, Tom Bettencourt, and Richard Leigh that made the Nashville Songwriters Association International Top 40 in January 2016.

After just two years in Nashville, Clanton signed a management deal with Torque Entertainment and a publishing deal with Writer’s Den Music Group. In spring of 2017, Sarah was selected as an Official Showcase Artist at the South Eastern Regional Folk Alliance in Montreat, North Carolina. This honor followed the 2017 releases “Middle Tree Studio Live,” a collection of originals, and a summer of video collaboration covers like “The Less I Know The Better” and “Chained to the Rhythm” with Nataly Dawn and “One Step Closer” with Heather Mae. In December, No Depression and Elmore Magazine premiered her latest single “Silver Lining”, a song co-written with Mary Bragg, championing construction conversation.

Looking forward to 2018, it looks like another year of adventure for Sarah Clanton! She plans to release a full-length record on October 26, 2018. She will be touring to support the new record; check out her shows to see if she's coming to a town near you!

Catch all the behind the scenes and sneak peaks by becoming a Cellobrator @ patreon.com/sarahclanton