Rhythm and blues ain’t all candy and hearts. There is real emotion, and lots of times, artists don’t always go there. Tapping into the darker side helps make a song more real, and keeps things fresh.
Say what you want about Spotify, but when the streaming service recommended Stephen A. Clark to us a few weeks back, we were immensely grateful. His debut album The Lonely Roller, is a little bit sad, a little bit sexual, and will absolutely make you move. Clark’s style and mannerisms remind us a lot of Theophilus London (both love that signature hat and can throw some shapes) as well as The Weeknd. If you watch his video for “Can’t Have,” you’ll get what we mean. Despite making what we would class as an R&B and rock album, Clark sees himself in the pop arena. It’s hard to place him in that sugary shiny mess, where there are maybe a handful of standout artists. It might not be what you would hear in your city’s biggest mainstream station (yet), but we want it to be. The biggest argument against pop is that the masses love it, and that’s the worst excuse not to get into something.
Clark makes intimate and raw music, writing his own lyrics and self-producing much of his debut. Some of it is a bit fatalistic (“It ain’t been good ever since she left, it’s like everything’s pointless”) and other times it’s obvious he’s just trying to get these things out. He sings about girls that are hopelessly in love just not with him (“She’s In Love”) and being a poor choice in a significant other (“Trouble Baby”). It’s on “Trouble Baby,” that we’re reminded most of The Weeknd, both lyrically and sonically. It’s a brooding, dark electronic track where he expresses things you probably never want to hear from a dude (“If I could, I’d fuck you then I’d leave you all alone”).
I don’t want to just be some guy trying to bring something back, but I always think there is room for a flawed character. The characters in the songs and me, they’re often the same guy.
You know we love a good electronic remix. Ape Drums reworked Clark’s “Can’t Have” and it’s gonna make you sweat. Listen below.
Clark is heading out on tour with Sinkane. See the dates below.
Tue. Oct. 13-Sat. Oct. 17 New York, NY @ CMJ
Tue. Nov. 10 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas
Wed. Nov. 11 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
Thu. Nov. 12 Boston, MA @ Great Scott
Fri. Nov. 13 Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Art Space
Sat. Nov. 14 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Sun. Nov. 15 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
Wed. Nov. 18 Toronto, ON @ The Drake Underground
*Fri. Nov. 20 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Caf
Sat. Nov. 21 Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Sun. Nov. 22 Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Tue. Nov. 24 Columbus, OH @ Skullys
Wed. Nov. 25 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
Follow Steven A. Clark on Facebook and Twitter.
On The Rise is our spotlight series on new and emerging artists. We last featured Pixx. Stay tuned for next week’s On The Rise artist!