Kara Clark- Rocking Her Own Style

by Mely Duong

Although Kara Clark is an unassuming sweet name, her voice is a completely different manner.  Immediately upon hearing her sing, one realizes that her voice is extremely powerful and for lack of a better way to put it, her voice packs quite a punch.  She can sing the low notes with the best of them, exuding vitality, or even the higher notes with a sweet haunting air.  It is a testament to her talent and voice that such a powerful strong voice can display range, depth, and a wide array of emotions.  The uniqueness of her voice parallels her music, as it is a combination of old school lyrics with a rock and southern rock sound.  Despite the mainstream culture embracing pop, Kara goes against the grain and has come into her own style by leaning towards rock.

For years, she had trouble finding her niche in the musical industry.  By some she was defined as alternative country.  By others she was labeled country.  Finally, she stopped trying to fit in and did her own thing, which the fans respected even more.  As she states, “I want the guitars heavy and up in the mix.  I am not formally trained at all so my chord progressions and style just come from what I think sounds good.”  Rather than attempting to strive for perfection as society dictates, she strives on being herself and maintaining her own character.  After all, the focus is her music and her beliefs, not pleasing society or pursuing “perfection.”  To that extent, her message can resonate within us all as well as her music and the confidence with which she pursues how to best express herself and her individuality through music.  “I am influenced by anyone who is original or has the guts to stick to what they believe in, even if it means a harder struggle or smaller fan base.  I love a unique sound.  Something that you know the minute it comes on, who it is.”  It is extremely encouraging to hear that as an artist, she does not sacrifice her own musical views and sound for a more mainstream sound in the hopes of gaining popularity.  It is a breath of fresh air, simply put.  You can tell listening to her music, that her influences are all over the map, from Cash to Tool.

In terms of her inspiration for her songwriting, real life has inspired much of her songs, from her real heart ache to her struggles.  Maybe that’s why her songs draw in fans from various different genres.  The depth and emotion with which her voice and lyrics express, speak to each one of us individually and pulls on our heart strings.  We all have been in the same places as she has and her songs speak to us.  They aren’t simply about superfluous partying.  Rather, they speak about real pain and real struggle.  It shows her raw pain, and as listeners, we can feel it and share the pain. Though many of her songs do have a deep painful meaning of struggle and strife, some songs are just about telling a great story of her enjoying the simple things in life such as drinking beer or riding in a pickup truck.  Some of her other influences include the relationships she has with the people she loves.  Everything she sings about is something that we as “normal” everyday people, can relate to.

Since her release of SINNIN’  in 2010, she recorded Southern Hospitality, which will be released this year to fans, online.  She has evolved from the previous album and deviates from a more commercial sound.  In SINNIN’, Kara states that “I was still trying to be commercial, be different from what is on the radio but still hoping it would get on the radio. My second record, I just didn’t care what anyone thought.  It was me and my music, and I accepted that it’s never going to be commercial radio.  That is okay.”  It seems that not only has she made amends between her individuality, finding her niche, and worrying about what people think, but she also writes on the piano now. Though some people claim that it is too “soft” or “clean”, as an artist, Kara believes in her own music and is content with how she has evolved.  Ultimately, as long as she knows she did her best and is pleased with her work, the fans will follow suit.  Besides, changing up sounds gives her some unpredictability and makes it all the more exciting.  For this coming year, we can expect new music and a spring tour, which will help out with promoting her.  Other than that, she is quite hush hush on what she is working on during 2013.

Lastly, Kara Clark would like to say that she is appreciative of her fans and that without them, she would be nothing.  She also thanks those in her life who remain supportive of her, including her family and children.  If you are a fan of Kara Clark or curious about her music now, head on over to her website or like her Facebook page. As of now, the closest she’ll be to the Philly area is NYC in March. Keep an eye on her tour dates, maybe she can squeeze in a visit.