Carey Clayton's dreamy reflective "I Wish I Had My Bicycle" from his EP "Matinee"

"speeding in fast forward, never asking what it's for, head down"

Listen to Carey Clayton's dreamy reflective I Wish I Had My Bicycle from his recent solo EP "Matinee" is wonderful escapist dream pop. Clayton's rushed, pushed vocal melodies that give way to wide eyed sustained vox give the track a very pop forward glimmer within the ostensibly psychedelic dream pop affair. I found myself thinking of my youth when hopping on that two wheeled escapist ride that would seemingly open the entire world to me as I would gather friends along the way. As a returning native to Los Angeles after performing, writing and recording with Brooklyn's synthpop group Great Good Fine Ok as well as producing for many artists including producing at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, his return to his own digs and creating his latest solo EP via his laptop might have given him the most naturally based nirvana. Clayton who over the years has produced and acted as a musician for many artists and all over the world feels comfortable in both analog and digital worlds and finds the location of the studio or definition thereof inconsequential.  

Clayton shares, “I think a lot of artists are misguided that they need to go to a traditional ‘recording studio’ to have their songs sound good when what they need is someone to help them with the vision and the execution of it. It no longer works to just record your band’s live set. You don’t wanna be predictable. You want to be special. You need attention to detail, to parts, and musical arrangement way before you think about how you’re mixing the snare drum. And you can do that with a laptop and a vision. Of course the gear helps though.” 

"I Wish I Had My Bicycle is a day dream of returning to simpler childhood times. Floating in a sea of lush guitars and warm synths, this song propels forward with a bit of a chill tropical vibe as the drums kick in. Overwhelmed in an world consumed by electronics and connectivity, this is song is about the feeling of letting that all go and just going for a ride on your bicycle."

-Robb Donker Curtius

Carey Clayton · I Wish I Had My Bicycle

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Carey Clayton is carving out a unique space in modern music. As an introspective and poised songwriter, he draws his inspiration from the likes of Bon Iver, Radiohead, and Biblio -- and you can feel it. His conceptually dense musical collages run through an acid wash of electronic manipulations, twisting guitars, and tactile percussion. But what's most striking is the subtle, magnetic ways in which he orchestrates tension and release.

With his first few releases as a solo artist, Clayton has been garnering the attention of blogs and fans alike.

“Following the serenely engaging “Not of Plastic,” “Rice and Tangerines” affirms Clayton as a singer/songwriter worth following” -Obscure Sound

“With the creative instrumentals and atmospheric melody, this captivating song is an instant favorite.” -Rock the Pidgeon about “Rice and Tangerines”.

Clayton credits his four years of performing, writing, and recording with the Brooklyn synthpop group Great Good Fine Ok as a major influence in his own sound. “It’s given me a whole new palate I didn’t have before,” he says.

Returning to his native Los Angeles after an intense period in New York hustling as a live performer and producer, Clayton aims to recapture the sense of awe of the natural world that initially fueled his artistic vision. Drawing inspiration from both serene nature and kinetic city life, the music Clayton creates portrays this intense, dramatic contrast.

In addition to his time with Great Good Fine Ok, Clayton has played major festivals like Bonnaroo, Firefly Fest, and Electric Forest while also touring and creating music in diverse locations like China, Nigeria, and Istanbul. He saw how environment played as an important as gear and technical ability in creating music . “The creativity, the writing, the soul -- these things are more influenced by my environment than by really incredible gear. I’d rather be mobile and be able to acquire a new environment -- to me that’s better than a piece of gear or a new synth. In a new place, you’re going to have new ideas.”

In 2019, Clayton was asked to produce an album at the critically-acclaimed Abbey Road. He was skeptical as to how necessary it was. While always a lifelong dream, to record at the home of Beatles, Clayton knew he was able to achieve the same, if not better results in his paired down, mobile studio. . He says, “I’m so much more invested in nurturing a creative environment than a huge gear-porn stash.” While the record turned out great, he ultimately ended up re-building most of the recordings from his laptop in Brooklyn, and he started to see how so many emerging artists are deeply misguided in what they need from a producer. “The overarching thing is that there’s too much emphasis on gear and the technical side of things. That’s just baseline stuff to me. That extra 1% in analog gear doesn’t make of break a record— its the creativity. The writing. The soul.”

Clayton continues, “I think a lot of artists are misguided that they need to go to a traditional ‘recording studio’ to have their songs sound good when what they need is someone to help them with the vision and the execution of it. It no longer works to just record your band’s live set. You don’t wanna be predictable. You want to be special. You need attention to detail, to parts, and musical arrangement way before you think about how you’re mixing the snare drum. And you can do that with a laptop and a vision. Of course the gear helps thought.”

Clayton has helped carve out sonic signatures for numerous and diverse artists as a producer and instrumentalist and his aesthetic sense has found a voice in every project in which he involves himself. Now, he’s turning the lens around to share his own artistic voice after years of honing his skills helping others craft theirs.

Clayton has performed with or recorded with artists such as Great Good Fine Ok, David Wax Museum, Darius Christian (Macklemore, Gwen Stefani), B.A.D.A., Emily Thomas, Kaline, Common Jack, Stephanie Carlin, Soft Glas.