MAYBE SOMEDAY IT'LL ALL BE OK is out now!
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Australian singer-songwriter Clinton Kane has treated us all with the release of his debut album, MAYBE SOMEDAY IT'LL ALL BE OK. We caught up with the musician to chat about the record, his artistry, performing live and to let him know he's hit one billion streams globally across his catalogue!
Across the personal and honest body of work, Kane journals his innermost thoughts whilst documenting key moments within his life that helped shape who he is at present time. Introspective and intimate lyricism slow above guitar-led soundscapes that, heralded by the musicians impassioned vocal performance. There's an effortless aura that runs throughout the body of work, organic instrumentation flows throughout whilst Kane's vocals invite you in like an old friend catching up to share stories of life.
Kane will return to Australia this December for his MAYBE SOMEDAY IT’LL ALL BE OK World Tour, following a performance in Auckland on December 9. The musicians Australian run will kick off on December 11 in Brisbane, before continuing on to Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
To start off, tell us a bit about your musical background and what led you to pursuing music?
I'm not gonna lie, I did not even think I was gonna do this as a career. Like I didn't have like one thought in my mind growing up that I was gonna be a singer, songwriter and play on stage and write songs about sad stuff. I was gonna be a doctor. I finished pre-med and I was gonna be a cardiologist and everything, but like my whole life I grew up in church and my mum was a pastor. I just was around music all the time, 24/7. Although it was like Christian music 24/7, I was just like taught to play the drums, play the guitar, play the piano, to sing. Like I knew I could sing a little bit I think. I think I knew I could sing when I got into a competition and it was like a church thing and there was three of us left and I was like 12 and both of them were like 28 or something and I won first place and I was like, 'wow, this is great. Fuck yeah'. I kind of just like, you know, I just knew how to sing. I did all that stuff, playing instruments, and then I started doing covers just for fun on YouTube. And then it was just really on and off, because that was just for fun and I didn't really think much about it. And then, you know, one day I just had a panic attack, wrote a song about it, panic attack left. It was really like spiritual and weird for me, but it left and then I put that song up on YouTube and then woke up, it was like 400,000 views and then kept writing, kept posting. And then now three years later, I'm here.
Before we get into the album, you recently hit a billion streams globally which is so massive. How does that make you feel? That so many people do connect with your music and love it.
I didn't even know that. How did you know that?
I got told that.
Oh, why did no one tell me [laughs]. This is like the first time I'm hearing that, I'm not gonna lie. It's actually pretty crazy 1 billion streams.
Yeah, it's so amazing. Globally across your catalogue, congratulations!
Wow. That feels pretty great. I don't really know how to feel. I'm not gonna lie, you gotta be honest. I'm kind of just in shock. But I mean, it's pretty humbling and honestly crazy that that's the case. Wow. Jesus Christ.
I'm glad to be the one to let you know that! Now your debut album MAYBE SOMEDAY IT'LL ALL BE OK is almost here which is super exciting! Such a great body of work. Could you unpack the themes explored across the album and the importance in documenting them within your music to you?
All the songs on the album were essentially, these weren't written in like a month or two. These were written like ever since I started writing music. Ever since the YouTube days and ever since I could even know how to write. All these songs are essentially songs that have impacted me, like a lot in my life. Negatively and positively. But you know, there's one song that's positive so like it's all negative [laughs] if I'm being honest with you. All these songs were just like key moments in my life that have taught me and grown me to be a little bit more mature and, you know, think about life a little bit more. These were songs that were written across like three years of my life and the album, the title just kind of explains and is like the conclusion to all those things that have happened to me that I've written in songs. And it says like maybe all these things that happened to me that I've written about, you know, maybe someday it'll all be okay. It's like the perfect, the title's not too depressing, but it's not too optimistic either. I'm kind of like just in that gray area and that's kind of where I am in this part of life that I'm in.
I love that, that's so eloquent. Like you said, you spent three years working on the album. Listening to it now that it's completely finished and about to be shared with the world, what are your own thoughts on the songs and the body of work?
I love every single song on the album. I'm not gonna lie to you. I think it's a very big representation of who I am, how I write and the places that I've been to and where I've come from and what I've gone through. I'm very, very proud of all these songs. I honestly just want these songs to just come out now. I kind of just wanna keep moving and just like keep going. It's kind of just in my nature I'm very, very excited to share this with the world.
How did you arrive at the sonic realm that the album exists within, the style of music you create?
It kind of just came to me. I've had like lots of people ask me, cause a lot of like a lot of different artists, you know, they have been writing for forever and since they were little, like everyone has like a different story and that's amazing. But I have lots of talks to different artists and they're like, 'how'd you find your sound? Like how'd you realise what you wanted?'. And it honestly, because of how I started writing, I didn't really necessarily have to figure it out, it just kind of came to me. It just like fell on my lap, the style of writing sonically. It's evolved over the years. Like I started off with just a guitar at first, like 2019, 2018, and my voice. And then I started working with other people and then, you know, sounds start coming in. I listen to different music and whatever inspires me in that period of time, like whatever I'm feeling and it's kind of just been growing, growing and growing and sonically. Obviously it's gonna change over time, but it's kind of just like who I am in this moment and what I feel like, you know, makes me feel.
Yeah, that's so lovely. If you had to pick like three songs off the album to play to someone who had never heard your music to make them an instant diehard fan, which three would you choose?
First one would be ONE MORE DAY WITH YOU because that's a really sad one and if you get anyone to cry, they'll probably love you. No, that's actually kinda fucked up, I take that back [laughs]. I'm gonna just let everyone know I've never purposely made anyone cry. Second song probably. CHICKEN TENDIES and then the third one probably, you're essentially asking me what my favourite song are I think.
Pretty much [laughs].
I think probably I WISH I COULD HATE YOU FOR BREAKING ME AND CALLING IT LOVE.
Good choices. I mean, everyone should just listen to the album top to bottom, back to front, mix it up as well. Is there like a particular line, lyric or musical motiff from the album that you find will get stuck in your head more often than not, or maybe one that you're most proud of?
The thing is I forget all my lyrics all the time. Let me just think real quick and by think I'm pulling up my phone and looking up all the lyrics off of my album. I don't have a specific one. I'm not gonna lie to you, my memory's so bad. I can't even think of one. I mean probably honestly, probably CHICKEN TENDIES, a song that's already been out. "I hope he's home for you, even though I had to lose you". I think that one just like hits a lot for me, I think.
You've built up quite a following online. How do you think platforms like YouTube and TikTok out can kind of like change the trajectory of an artists career?
I mean it's changed everything for me. I'm not gonna lie to you. It's kind of been like a catalyst to like taking my career to the next level. Do you know what I mean? Especially like TikTok early on, it was definitely fucking like mad how everything grew so quickly. I think like if there are artists who aren't, you know, utilising all these like social media apps, they should probably start doing it. But it's definitely been the game changer. It's been like everything to me.
You're also heading on your debut Australian tour soon which is so exciting that you're coming home for that. What can audiences expect from one of your live shows?
I want them to come out and have it be a more of like, obviously I appreciate the show of it all, but like what I want people to take out of it more is more of, I don't know if it's like weird to say, the spiritual experience from it. Like the emotional experience from it, because like my songs come from real, real pain and real hurt and real situations in my life. And you know, I want people to come to those shows and feel all of it and come out and you know, say like, 'holy fuck, I've never felt so much in a night in my entire life'. Like they come out of it and don't feel alone. Like, 'holy fuck, this fucking guy right here is saying exactly what I'm feeling right now in my heart'.
GET TO KNOW CLINTON KANE
Biggest musical influences?
Jesus, it's been a lot of Christian music [laughs]. Hillsong, United Planet Shakers, um, Cornerstone Church, it's just been Christian music.
Dream collaboration?
The 1975.
An album that's had the most impact on you?
Hello, Dolly by Louis Armstrong.
If you could create the soundtrack for any existing film, which film would it be?
What's like a really good romantic, sad movie. I can't think of anything. I actually can't think of anything right now.
What was the first song that you loved to sing?
It was Oceans by Hillsong [laughs].
Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus?
That's hard. You can't put me in that position? Probably Hannah Montana [laughs].
First concert you went to?
Bon Iver
Best concert you've attended?
Best concert I've been to was a Fred Again concert.
Would you either be a Spice Girl or a Backstreet Boy?
Backstreet Boy.
What would your street name be?
Maybe like Sad ECK or something, somewhere along those lines [laugh] I don't know.
Guilty music pleasure?
Taylor Swift.
An artist that you think has had the most influence on the music industry?
Harry Styles.
What advice would your current self, give to your future self, for a year from now?
Stop overthinking. You're just fucking yourself up in the ass right now. Take it slow and everything's gonna be alright.
The moment you knew you wanted to be a musician.
When I wrote my first song, I knew I wanted to write. I didn't necessarily think there was a career out of it, but that was definitely the moment because I had a panic attack and wrote a song out of nowhere. And you know, it was like the most negative experience I had in my life, in that moment, my first panic attack ever. And when I finished writing my first song, it like went away and that was the moment where I was like, 'this is what I'm gonna be doing for the rest of my life'.
MAYBE SOMEDAY IT'LL ALL BE OK is out now!