Songwriter, guitarist, and soulful singer JD Clayton is wholly a product of his environment. A product of being raised in Arkansas, the literal son of a preacher man, Clayton returned to his home of Fort Smith after grinding it out in Nashville for a few years and re-immersed himself in the community and landscape that shaped him into the artist he is today; down-to-earth, deliberately unhurried, and touched with a carefree ease that’s undeniably infectious. It didn’t take long for his roots to grow back into his music and an adventurous new album soon led to his signing with Rounder Records.
In a glorious example of Clayton’s fortified freewheeling energy, his new single “Let You Down” is anchored in Clayton’s warmly nuanced performance on acoustic guitar. But the star of the show is Clayton’s ability to spin the subtlest of moments into songwriting gold. “I wrote ‘Let You Down’ on a rainy Monday afternoon,” he remembers. “I had just met my new bass player, Lee, for coffee. We enjoyed a great conversation with the barista while it was pouring rain outside. The barista tried over and over to give us her favorite recommendations for our dinner that evening but every single place she suggested was closed that day.” After the fifth or sixth suggestion ended up being closed for business, the trio just sat there and laughed, unable to continue the process altogether. “After that, I was driving home in the rain and started writing about the idea of someone letting you down, and it slowly developed into a song about falsely projecting perfection onto a person and then feeling hurt when they can’t live up to that.” That’s the JD Clayton way: depth in the unobvious, color in the storytelling.
Musically, “Let You Down” is a soul-soothing epic, moving decisively through harmonica-led, acoustic verses and stomping, electric guitar rhythms in the chorus. The country rocker’s back half launches into a high-spirited jam that feels both off-the-cuff and elegantly composed. Numerous influences poke out here and there, but the differences—dreamy, reverberated piano against fuzz-tone electric guitars and unison, full-band licks—are emulsified beautifully, unable to be separated back into their original ingredients; a timeless quality that elevates Clayton and his band well beyond where their timeline in the music industry says they should be.
Fans can stream or purchase “Let You Down” today at this link and check out Clayton’s previously released singles “Dance Another Dance” and “High Hopes & Low Expectations” at their respective links. Be sure to keep an eye on JD Clayton's socials for upcoming releases. For any more information, please visit jdclaytonofficial.com.
Clayton takes the stage tonight at Denver, Colorado’s Globe Hall before heading back to the East Coast for a set in New York City at the end of the week. A full list of tour dates can be found below or at jdclaytonofficial.com/tour.
Catch JD Clayton On Tour:
October 11 - Globe Hall - Denver, CO
October 12 - Oskar Blues - Colorado Springs, CO
October 16 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
October 17 - Pearl Street Warehouse - Washington, DC
October 18 - Club Café - Pittsburgh, PA
October 24 - The Burl - Lexington, KY
November 8 - Golden Light Cantina - Amarillo, TX
December 6 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
More About JD Clayton: A native son of Arkansas, JD Clayton delivers a timeless form of country rock that’s wholly the product of his environment: down-to-earth, deliberately unhurried, touched with a carefree ease that’s undeniably infectious. After several years spent grinding it out in Nashville—and kicking off a career that’s included touring alongside the likes of Dwight Yoakam, Old Crow Medicine Show, Parker McCollum, and more along with major festival performances like Bonnaroo and Born & Raised —the Fort Smith-bred singer/songwriter immersed himself in the making of an adventurous new album that soon led to his signing with Rounder Records. Clayton is currently on the road for his first-ever headline tour, the Blue Sky Sundays Tour. Go to www.JDClaytonofficial.com for more info.
