Today, Kyle Clark may be finding his own lane in country music, but growing up, music was always just around. We first chatted with the artist in 2022, and it’s been four years of growth and true work ethic for the talented entertainer.

Born in Honolulu while his parents were stationed there through the Air Force, Clark eventually landed in Jefferson, Georgia, where he was primarily raised. Growing up, artists like Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Buffett, and Keith Urban were constantly playing around the house. “I felt like I was kind of naturally just around that kind of summer feel,” Clark shared, explaining that those artists heavily shaped the direction his music is now moving in years later.

“There’s videos my parents have of me, like five years old,” he recalled. “I ran up to the camera and I was like, ‘I’m Kenny Chesney.’” His mom jokingly responded back, “Well, I hope you will be someday,” a moment that would later inspire the title of his first record, I Hope You Will Be Someday.

Alongside country music, Clark also found himself heavily influenced by classic rock growing up. Artists like Eagles, Journey, Aerosmith, and Boston quickly became favorites. “I’ve always really loved music from a young age,” he shared.

By the time he was a teenager, Clark had started teaching himself guitar and writing songs of his own. While attending both the University of North Georgia and later the University of Georgia for marketing, music slowly became more than just a hobby. “I was selling shoes at Dick’s Sporting Goods to make money so I could go to the studio,” Clark shared, recalling how he spent those years independently writing songs, recording music, and releasing songs onto Spotify between 2015 and 2017.

At the same time, Clark began building a local following throughout Georgia through competitions and live performances, realizing that music may actually be something he could pursue long-term.

The Turning Point:

As the artist continued building a local following in Georgia, doors started to open. While still in college, the singer-songwriter competed in the Nash Next competition through Atlanta country radio and ended up winning the Atlanta division two years in a row. “It felt like a reassuring thing,” Clark shared. “Okay, I literally just competed against all these people from Georgia and won.”

The competition eventually led to opportunities like opening for artists like Darius Rucker and Kane Brown. “I just continued to think, ‘How do I do this again? How do I continue to have events like this and feel the way that it makes me feel getting to play songs for people?’”

Then in January 2019, Clark received a DM that would truly change the trajectory of his career. He suddenly received an Instagram DM from a manager connected to Tree Vibez Music asking to hear more of his music.

After sending over a few unreleased songs, Clark was invited to Nashville to meet with hit songwriter and producer Jordan Schmidt. “I drove to Nashville, skipped class, and sat down and played songs for them,” he shared. Shortly after that meeting, Clark was invited to move to Nashville and eventually signed his first publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing later that year.

“I moved the week of CMA Fest,” Clark shared. “It was a very big week meeting everybody.” Not long after signing his publishing deal, Clark co-wrote “Villain” for Lily Rose, which would later become a platinum-certified hit. Then, when the pandemic shutdown happened, Clark found himself diving even deeper into music, teaching himself production and mixing while trying to become more self-sufficient creatively.

“I was trying to make myself more valuable,” he explained. Over time, Clark slowly began producing his own music and shaping the sound that would eventually define his artistry. That process ultimately led to “Hope It’s Hot Out,” the song Clark describes as the compass for where his music is headed now. The track garnered over 50 million streams and grew completely organically without major-label backing.

Today:

Flash forward to today, and Kyle Clark has fully stepped into his own as both an artist and producer in the independent music space. The singer’s latest project, Better On A Boat comes out this Friday (5/22), and it’s a true testament to all his hard work..

“After being in Nashville for now seven years this June, I kind of have figured out how my sound should be moving forward,” Clark shared. Built around the same “summer feel” that shaped his childhood, the project blends country storytelling with beach-town energy, classic rock influence, and polished production.

Unlike previous projects, Better On A Boat is almost entirely Clark’s vision from start to finish. “I wrote on every single song,” he shared, adding that he also produced and mixed the entire record himself for the very first time. “I’m very hands on with everything.”

That independent and self-made mentality has become a huge part of Clark’s identity as an artist. At the same time, the singer continues expanding his sound in new ways too. Most recently, he teamed up with DJ Deerock for “Hot Out,” an EDM-inspired remix of “Hope It’s Hot Out.” “If I can give my song potentially another life in a different style, I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a good idea,” he shared.

Beyond his own artistry, Clark also continues making waves behind the scenes in Nashville’s songwriting world. In addition to co-writing “Villain,” Clark recently co-wrote “Let Him In Anyway,” which is currently climbing country radio for Blake Shelton. He also recently signed with Relative Music Group, the publishing company founded by HARDY.

As Clark continues building his career both as an artist and songwriter, one thing feels especially clear, the singer is creating music on his own terms. Stay tuned for more!

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