Today we’d like to introduce you to Creature (Jessey) Comfort (Clark).
Hi Creature (Jessey), it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
*note: I’m so sorry if this is too long.
Creature Comfort was formed out of the ashes of my college band in Murfreesboro, TN circa 2011. Our first years as CC were spent playing rowdy sweaty house shows to fellow drunk college kids in the beloved Boro house show scene. It was in Murfreesboro that we home recorded our debut record, Fox Tales. After it’s release in 2013, the entire band relocated to Nashville right around the time of the “boom” in town. Our first shows in town were all about getting our foot in the door. We played several times at Springwater Supper Club before we could land any other shows in town. But soon enough we were on our way.
We spent those first few couple years in Nashville writing new music and honing in on our *then* sound. We’d play around town at the smaller clubs and managed to land some larger shows at venues like Exit/In and Mercy Lounge. And then in 2016, we released our follow-up EP titled “Echoes & Relics”. After its release, things really started to pick up. We started playing more consistently and continued writing/recording. Our single “Teeth for Days” was released in late 2016 and helped land us a spot in the Road to Roo competition sponsored by Miller Lite and hosted by Lightning 100. After four nights of battle of the bands-style shows, we somehow won our chance to play Bonnaroo.
Our Roo set was incredible and inspiring. Immediately after, we went hard into writing new music that would become our sophomore album, “Home Team”. Just weeks before heading to the studio, we departed ways with our former guitarist who helped shape much of our sound. Instead of disbanding, we recruited two of our good friends who stepped in to join us down in Athens, GA. They helped make the songs whole again and created our new sound. And it was our first time tracking something outside of our own studio.
As things were wrapping up with the new record, Lightning 100 started submissions for Music City Mayhem. We submitted our tunes and found out we were in the running. After a couple weeks of harassing fans and friends to vote for us, we somehow found ourselves as the wild card pick at the final round, which was held at Marathon Music Works. We played our asses off and somehow ended up winning the trophy and a slot to play Live on the Green. That August, we released our first single off of “Home Team” to coincide with our performance at LOTG. As the year winded down, we were getting ready to shop the record with some potential labels. Then, we all know what happened.
Covid threw a major wrench into the music industry. We ended up self-releasing “Home Team” but could not tour since live shows were not happening. We did manage to drum up some traction with music outlet write ups and Spotify playlist additions. This entire period feels like a flash. We had several rehearsals writing new music while social distancing or taking tests beforehand. And as the music world began to fully reopen, life happened. I bought a house and was soon enough engaged to the woman of my dreams. As a wedding present, we recorded an EP of love songs called “The Honeymoon EP” that I gifted to my wife on our first day as a married couple.
After our honeymoon, we started writing our upcoming record. Our sound has developed once again. Our Home Team-era guitarist moved to NYC but we now have a lead violinist. Things moved slowly for a while, but this year has proved that things are about to pick up. In July, we went on an east coast tour and capped it off by playing Mile of Music Festival. We expect the touring to continue and hopefully soon, we can announce a release date on the upcoming album.
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?
Starting off in Nashville definitely was not a smooth process. This is the town where you have to cut your teeth. The biggest struggle was finding our foot in the door and getting someone to listen. After that, things started to fall into place.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Creature Comfort’s sound can be described as “Fleet Foxes for people who grew up bailing hay”. I think one thing that sets us apart from other musicians is town is our live show. We really give it our all and do our best to convey the emotion on stage. I want the audience to feel the words as they leave my lips.
I’d say I’m most proud of our non-compromising attitude and drive. We make the music and art that we want to make. And we’ve been going at it for almost 15 years. That takes commitment.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The hardest part about starting out is finding where you belong. I hate to say it, but a lot of it is all about who you know. Don’t be afraid to talk to new people. Be bold, but be yourself. You’ll find your scene a lot faster that way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.creaturecomfortband.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creaturec0mfort/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creaturecomfortband
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWTTLvjKEvxkc19QXQKCtw
