Today we’d like to introduce you to Clayton Blue.
Hi Clayton, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started on accident and almost out of necessity. I had a procucer approach me that was interested in recording my band at the time but I already had a place I was going to that I was happy with. In order to sweeten the deal he told me he would do all my demos for free so I agreed. After that point I was there all the time working on stuff and I’m sure he was just calculating how much free work he was doing versus what would actually be paid at the end and it stopped making sense. But in order to honor the deal he offered to show me how to run things so I could sit and do it myself at his place. After learning the basics and seeing that I could flesh out an entire idea as opposed to waiting for rehearsals to have a drummer and another guitar player there I became hooked. I was constantly on youtube looking things up and experimenting and it was all pretty terrible initially but over time as things clicked I just got more and more interested. I then created a working relationship with him to allow me to produce bands out of his studio and I would give him a cut for letting me use his gear and templates. Eventually the debt for the gear got overwhelming for him and the bookings just weren’t coming in so he was forced to sell and get out. I bought up as much as I could manage and began working by myself. It was still very much a long hard road to establish trust with clients and it was feast or famine for quite some time after. I was bouncing from couches, sleeping in my car, and recording people in their living rooms just to make a little bit of money to maintain everything. Eventually I was booked enough to rent a small room in a warehouse and I lived in that room, showering at planet fitness, cooking with a microwave and an airfryer but I now had a home base to sit and learn and experiment. From there I continued essentially doing the same thing as before but now that I was getting booked more consistently I was able to acquire resources. I also was making a bit of a name for myself so I was seem as a peer to other producers in the area and they would share tips and offer critiques to help me grow. Eventually I moved out of that spot into the six room studio I currently operate out of and have been here for about 8 years. Not much has changed, Im still constantly searching for information and trying to grow but since being here it’s been my full time job and I’ve gotten to do a lot of cool things with cool artists and even got into developing bands myself and some of those bands have gone on to get signed and join the touring circuit.
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?
Not a smooth road at all. They say musicians work twice as hard for half as much and I think thats true. There is a lot of competition, this is a dream job so everyone wants to do it. Im fully aware that there are many other people trying to do the same thing so the only strategy I can implement is to outwork them so I end up being chosen for the project.
Like I said I was sleeping on couches and in my car and eventually my car died so I would take the train from Ogden to Provo with my interface and giant Imac just to get to the sessions. Sometimes when I would get back Uber wasn’t very popular yet and I was forced to walk about 7 miles home with all of that stuff under my arm. Sometimes that was in the winter and through the snow. I remember I had a park that was my half way point with bathrooms that stayed around 65 degrees and functioning outlets so I could recharge my phone and warm up. The whole time I would tell myself this is still better than working at a call center so I would trudge through it and remind myself it was only temporary.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in songwriting, production, and engineering. I am known for songwriting above all. Though I’m known for production as well I think the thing that sets me apart is that I don’t just hit record and let the artist do their thing. I take a very active approach to helping the artists develop their ideas and identities. I think that is the most important thing for an artist is to cultivate an identity that people can attach themselves to, and simultaneously I think its was most artists that don’t gain success are getting wrong. Of course the sound and production are incredibly important, but if the song isn’t good then the production inherently can’t be good as a result. I think the reason to hire someone isn’t entirely based on technical ability, I think largely it’s because they can provide a result. My aim is to provide results for artists. Its a bad business model for the artist to pay for production that doesn’t make them a return, I try to help them create great songs that capture an audience in order to get plays and attendees at shows so they can make a return on their investment. Bands and artists should be making enough of their project to pay me from what the band makes. That takes to time to cultivate of course, but that is my goal as a producer.
What matters most to you?
I once had a conversation with an old band member about how things aren’t fun anymore. He was upset with some of the tough decisions the band was forced to make at the time and said didn’t we do this because it was supposed to be fun? Isn’t that the point? I thought about it for a second and said no. We don’t do this because it’s fun, we do this because its fulfilling. Fulfillment isn’t acquired by having fun. Amateurs stop when it’s not fun and pro”s don’t sop until it’s done. Sports are supposed to be fun, but running drills isn’t fun. Video games are supposed to be fun, but pro gamers that practice the same movements and techniques aren’t having fun the entire time. There are ton’s of “fun” jobs that a person can have but the only way its entertaining to watch or listen is when they do something miraculous. So no it’s not always fun but when you work really hard to get beyond the barrier and you get the result at the end that’s when it’s fun. So the most important thing to me is doing something that is fulfilling. I think regardless of what you choose to do with your life that’s what we’re all searching for at the end of the day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bambooaudiout.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambooblue.wav?stkn=MWEzMXA0bmRtaDdoYw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
