Zoe Clark
Pop/country artist Zoe Clark unveils new single “Cave”.
Produced by Drew Schueler, the new single is about that one person who captures our hearts and no matter how hard we try, we always seem to cave.
Inspired by artists and songwriters like Julia Michaels, Taylor Swift and Kelsea Ballerini, the Nashville-based artist draws from her own personal experiences to create records about love, lust, heartbreak and heartache.
“Cave” is the first single off Clark’s new upcoming project Lovers Mark. Entirely produced by Drew Schueler, the 6-track EP will be revealed this Spring.
“Cave” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Luke Rogers
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi Thread! My name is Zoe Clark and I am a pop/country songwriter and artist. I am originally from Connecticut and moved down to Nashville to attend Belmont University as a songwriting major. Growing up, music has always been my passion and escapism. I started seriously songwriting at twelve years old because my music became my diary and a way for me to understand my own thoughts and emotions. Moving to Nashville has been amazing because the songwriting community is so welcoming and has truly become a family.
Could you describe us your childhood a little bit?
I grew up in Connecticut and was really the only songwriter and musician I knew, so I spent the majority of my childhood writing songs alone. Songwriting quickly became my diary and was a way for me to understand my own thoughts and emotions, and even my friends joke that, in order to understand what's truly going on in my life, they have to listen to my music.
If you could say something to your younger self, what would you say?
I would tell my younger self to stop stressing about the little things in life and to take more risks. You don’t grow if you refuse to step outside of your comfort zone and there is no reason to focus on the little things! Little Zoe spent way too much time focusing on things that just didn’t matter.
How would you describe yourself today?
I would describe myself as a very hardworking and passionate person. I am a big dreamer and I often let my emotions take over my logic, which is great for writing music and lyrics but bad for when I am just trying to be a normal human.
"Cave" is your new single. What's the story behind this song?
“Cave” is my favorite song off of my record, which is why I chose to release it as my first single. I wrote “Cave” on my back porch in Nashville, TN and knew immediately that it had to be incorporated into my record. “Cave” is about that one person who captures our hearts and no matter how hard we try, we always seem to “cave.” It’s knowing that the relationship will be bad for you and will leave you heartbroken, but you fall anyway because you let your emotions get in the way of logic.
What did you feel when writing this song?
I think it depends on the song. Again, my music is my diary full of experiences, truth, and emotions, so the song I write that day depends on the emotions I am feeling in that moment.
What do you like the most about this single?
I love “Cave” because it is one of the more personal songs on the record and I think encompasses my entire EP. Once I wrote the song, I felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I remember thinking that I wasn’t going to write a song that day, but once I picked up my guitar, I started humming the chorus, and I couldn’t stop until the song was finished.
What made you want to release "Cave" as a single?
I think “Cave” embodies the entire theme of my record, Lovers Mark, and is a great preview for what to expect on the project.
What can you tell us about your upcoming EP? What are the different topics you are talking about on this project?
Lovers Mark is all about love and lust, heartbreak and heartache, and navigating “dating” in my twenties. Every element of my record is purposeful from the order of the tracks, the song titles, and my feelings, which all relate under the umbrella of a person, or a few people that have left a mark on me. To me, love is this unexplainable feeling, filled of hope and excitement and laughter, but it can also tear you apart, cause enormous pain, and leave you heartbroken. Either way, that person, whether or not you fell in love or lust, left a “lovers mark” on your heart. With the record representing love, it takes you on the journey of love in all of its forms.
When did you start working on it? Who helped you create it?
I started working on my EP last year. I am always co-writing and am actually in the studio recording more songs to release next fall. Drew Schueler produced my entire project and I am so grateful for him. The second we got into the studio, he understood the direction I wanted to take with the record and was willing to re-track and re-record vocals until I felt like the song was finished (even including last minute sessions where I wanted to redo an entire song). I wrote “Cave”, “Blame”, and “Romantic”, by myself, as those songs just came from processing my own thoughts and emotions. I wrote “More” and “Terminal Four” with Lauren Weintraub, who is not only one of my closest friends, but went through the specific experiences I wanted to write about in those songs with me, and I wrote “Spinning”, with writer and producer Braxton Peoples last year.
Why do you make music?
I have always listened to music for connection. There is no better feeling to me than relating to a song on such a personal level, I can’t help but think that it was written just for me. I make music because I want to connect with others and have them relate to my thoughts and my emotions just like songs have related to me. I want just one person to know that they aren’t alone, and then I know that I did my job.
What does songwriting make you feel?
Songwriting makes me feel complete and whole. My songs are all about my life experiences and my journey through navigating my twenties. With that being said, there are definitely songs that are harder to write than others because they deal with emotions I am not ready to comprehend yet, and others are easier to write and express. Writing is my diary and I don’t know what I would do without itl
Releasing personal music can be a scary thing to do, what gives you the confidence to share your art with the world?
I think sharing my music is important because it's always been a way for me to fully express myself and my emotions and a way for me to fully be myself.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
I love the fact that anyone can release music to platforms and express themselves! But due to streaming there is a separation between the artist and their music. With playlisting taking over, listeners tend to stumble across an artists song instead of searching for it, and while that's great, it's harder for listeners to hear the rest of an artist’s record or follow them. If you like a song, make sure to check out the artist and hear what else they have to say.
What is your definition of success?
My definition of success is not about the number of streams I get or the amount of followers I surpass, but it's my connection with my listeners. I will feel successful if I can connect with just one person with my music and show them that they aren’t alone and that their emotions and feelings are valid.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
I am passionate about a lot - probably too many things. I am passionate about mental health and self care (BIG BELIEVER in self care), skincare, cooking, and, a lot of people don’t really know this, I was a big soccer player.
As a human being, what do you want to accomplish?
I want to continue to create music that connects with others for the rest of my life and live happily. Simple as that.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
The world would be such a better place if everyone was KIND to each other! One of the biggest pieces of advice that I have ever gotten is that you never know what someone else is going through, so always give them a smile, always say, “Hi”, treat everyone with kindness and you will get kindness back. You will also make a new friend.
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