We were fortunate enough to catch up with the superb musician Clifford following the release of his excellent single, ‘Can We Dance To This’. Read the full interview below!

Hi Clifford, what is your earliest music memory?

Hello Kris! A pleasure to speak with you again. Probably when I was about three, playing my electric blue and white plastic guitar with my sister singing Spice Girl songs. 🙂

Who or what got you into music?

What finally got me into doing just music was an unfortunate soccer accident where I tore my achilles tendon. I was laid up for 13 months and decided to start a Twitch Channel. 

To make the channel a bit more unique, I began playing covers for people. It got pretty toxic sometimes. I’d dip into games, ask if anyone wanted to hear some music, got the usual f*** off response, then I’d promise to stop if they didn’t like it … from there; it grew into people mostly tuning in for the music. 

Players would literally dip in and out until I was playing music. It was crazy. Eventually, I began playing songs that I wrote, and I got some really positive results. That was about three years ago.

Who influenced your latest release, ‘Can We Dance To This?’

The internet and the want to make an upbeat Summer pop song. Summer songs often bring back memories of good times for people. I released “3 AM” in the Summer, and its audience is still growing. I’m hopeful ‘Can We Dance To This’ does the same.

You write and record in your home studio; what kind of set-up do you use?

I keep my setup as minimalistic as possible. I have a PC I built myself, an audio interface, a mic, a midi controller, studio monitors and headphones. Then there are the multiple instruments that I play. I love my setup because it requires a few steps to start getting my ideas down.

You worked with Reeves Productions on the artwork for the release; what was that process like?

Reeves Productions is actually my own company. I, fortunately, have an experienced creative team to work with on the artwork for my music. We conceptualize each song first, decide on a marketing plan before the shoot, and make wardrobe and styling decisions. 

Until you start shooting, you never know what’s going to happen, though. With ‘Can We Dance To This’, we had planned an outdoor shoot, but we kept fighting thunderstorms, so we ended up shooting inside with a backdrop. Luckily before it started raining too hard, we were able to shoot a TikTok video. 

TikTok for ‘Can We Dance To This’

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

Max Martin because he has a production style that doesn’t cut corners, especially with vocals.

Other than music, what are you passionate about?

Fitness and photography both really help me in all my creative processes. I’m always playing around with ideas for videos, usually humorous ones.

What changes would you like to see in the music business?

There’s a common belief made with all the arts that it should be done for free. Unlike other industries where you can work your way up the monetary ladder, in the world of music, there isn’t a ladder. 

Making even minimum wage is impossible. A simple fix for this would allow artists to be paid for plays. I think there’s an awareness of this now, and small steps have begun with some established artists speaking out.

What would it be if you could choose one thing for fans to take away from your music?

Let your glass be half full. 🙂

What is your favourite song to play live?

With times as they are, I’ve done a few acoustic versions of my songs on TikTok and YouTube. I guess that’s not really ‘live’, but it’s what I’ve got. I like doing them, but I really look forward to playing all my music on stage with an audience to interact with.

Have you started working on your next release?

Yes always. I just don’t know what song it’ll be. I have a vault of music that I work on periodically, depending on what mood I’m in. If one seems to be progressing well and stands out as potentially a timely release, I focus on it and finish it.

FVMusicBlog June 2022

https://twitter.com/clifford_music
https://soundcloud.com/cliffordreevesofficial
https://cliffordmusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLslugfaRCSmgA9W9tF7Yjg