Check Out Zoe Clark’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zoe Clark.

Zoe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Ever since I was five years old, I knew I wanted to sing. My house was never silent – there was always music blaring from every room in the house, whether it was my sister listening to Gavin Degraw or The Backstreet Boys, my dad playing James Taylor in the living room as he reads the newspaper, or my mom listening to Carol King on her computer. I grew up listening to incredible songwriters, which I think subconsciously shifted my path to songwriting as well as singing. Growing up, I did everything I could to find my voice in the music world. I took the train to New York for singing lessons, guitar lessons, and songwriting masterclasses. I spent summers involved in the NYU Songwriting Programs and Berklee School of Music songwriting programs and took stage presence masterclasses.

I loved songwriting and it quickly became therapy for me in middle school, high school, and now. I would sit on my bed with my guitar and sing my heart out about an unrequited crush, heartbreak, or friendship. Songwriting became a habit of mine and was a way for me to express my emotions in ways I was never able to do before – I couldn’t explain how I was feeling, but I could write it.

Ever since then, my music has been about my experiences and my life. Fast forward a few years, I went to Belmont University as a songwriting major, and then during the pandemic, I took up TikTok, where I started posting my music online. TikTok changed my life in ways I cannot even comprehend and I started building an incredible community of people who relate to my music!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has definitely not been smooth, and I am still hit with so many obstacles, which I think comes with the territory of chasing my dreams. I get in creative ruts, I write songs I think everyone will love but they don’t, and sometimes I don’t believe in myself.

I think in this career it is so easy to overthink and second, guess myself and my art because I am writing from my experiences and my truths – it can be scary to be so vulnerable. But I find my most vulnerable and honest songs are the ones that people love.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I am a very shy person. In my life, I have always had a hard time opening up to friends and family about my struggles or my problems and they always joke that they have to listen to my music to know what’s going on in my life. I think that’s why songwriting is so important to me. Songwriting allows me to write from my heart, free from judgment, and let me say whatever it is I want to say.

To this day, writing my truths in my music is something I still do and love. For some reason, I can be so open and honest in my music for the world to hear but have a hard time being vulnerable in my day-to-day life. So, with that being said, I am most proud of my lyrics because they truly are the soundtracks to my life or the different phases of my life.

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I think meeting as many people as possible and building an incredible community around you is so important. I am so lucky to have gone to a music school where my professors have been my mentors and have helped me craft my voice as a songwriter and artist.

But I have also gone to so many concerts and small shows to meet people. Don’t be afraid to go up to someone you want to work with and ask them to get coffee! Chances are, they will say yes!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zoeclarkmusic.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zoeclarkmusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDYm-D1b9ljWacyqKJwWowQ

Image Credits
Chase Denton