Artist Spotlight – June 2024

J.M. Clifford – June Artist Spotlight

“I wanted to be Lars Ulrich from Metallica when I first started playing drums. And actually, part of me still does” is just the beginning of who my June Artist Spotlight is. As a music teacher at an inner-city elementary school teacher in New York, J.M. Clifford has not only shared his creativity and heart with his students, but he has also been introducing great music to the bluegrass world. While J.M. currently resides in Brooklyn, he was born (February 13th) and raised in Allendale, NJ.

Allendale, NJ is just over 26 miles from New York City and a convenient NJ Transit train station right downtown. Allendale is a farming community that produce large amounts of fruit, including apples and peaches, but well-known for strawberries. J.M. attended PACE High School in Manhattan, NY and then furthering his education at Hunter College (NY City) and New York University.

J.M. Clifford’s musical journey started when he was only in the 5th grade. Yes, he may have started with the drums and practicing to be one of the greatest drummer’s, Lars Ulrich, but his musical talents were just getting started. As he would tell you, learning to play instruments became a slippery slope as he became familiar with keyboards and then bass. While songwriting has always been his passion, his favorite songwriting tool of choice didn’t come about until he begged his folks for a guitar. Oh, I am quite sure his parents were so excited to have gotten him that guitar after hearing him perfecting the riff from Sweet Child O’Mine. Ha-ha. From that point on, there was no turning back – J.M. was hooked with playing and songwriting with the guitar!

With the fear of duplicating a melody, like many songwriters, J.M. finds himself starting off with chords and melody followed by tinkering with both ingredients until he lands on something fresh and compelling. Keeping the end goal of making that connection or something that resonates with fans, making one think, giving a sense of peace or making you want to dance is what gives J.M the feeling of winning a gold medal. Writing a song also depends on the tune; for instance, J.M. mentioned that he was working on a new song that was chasing a free vibe. On the other hand, he finds the act of writing tunes, regardless of the content, he finds it to be therapeutic – letting the brain digest and metabolize an idea. One of J.M.’s desires is to write a tune for or with East Nash Grass! So, if any of you out there knows them, or if East Nash Grass is reading this, can we make this happen? With that type of collaboration, the finished product would be outstanding!

Over the past year or so, J.M. has found many of his singles getting placed on curated Spotify, Amazon, and Tidal Playlist and he couldn’t be happier. But when J.M. was invited back to the 2023 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Songwriter Showcase, that feeling became ecstatic! That moment was one of the biggest moments in his music career – it allowed him to experience a feeling of validation and grateful for the opportunity.

As the saying goes, “Behind every great man, there is a great woman”. For J.M., his mother who recently passed a few years ago has always been his biggest role model. As a former nurse, she had always encouraged him to use whatever abilities he had to help others. She definitely didn’t just talk the talk; she actually walked it. You see, after his mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, she was still working as a nurse in a hospice facility. Helping others allowed her to ease her pain. Not only did his mom’s character, hard-working and huge heart help mold him, she was the person he bounced situations and thoughts of. J.M. still finds himself solving situations today as if his mom is guiding him.

The most inspirational person in J.M.’s life has been his wife, 100%. She has not only been the inspiration for a lot of his tunes, but she also could actually be considered a musical genius. His wife is currently studying to obtain her Ph.D. in Music Theory at Yale. J.M. has learned so much about writing and performing from her to the point that no song gets put out without going through her filter.

Before talking about the new album release that is set for early June, I wanted to find out what J.M. would tell a new/up and coming artist as a bit of advice. After a chuckle and him saying, “become a dentist” Ha-ha! J.M. stated, “Be authentic. Figure out what makes you unique in a crowded field and explore that thing”.

‘Trains, Thinkin’ and Drinkin’’ album was created by using some of the best session musicians – Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Seth Taylor, Jeff Partin, Jeff Picker and Robby Hecht. With such talent and ease in the studio, J.M. felt the hardest part of creating the album was done during the prep and narrowing down to exactly what he wanted for the final product. The single ‘Complicated Man’ that was released last year is the song on the album that J.M. is most proud
of. He explained the song as “The song is about acknowledging his own moral victories and failures. We all make decisions big and small every day that give us a sense of who we are. Sometimes we’re selfish and other times we’re generous and thoughtful. This one is an appeal to my better angels.”

If you have not listened to the songs that have already been released as singles, ‘Complicated Man’, ‘On My Mind’, ‘Trains, Thinkin’ and Drinkin’’, and ‘Raised in the Ashes’, you should do yourself a favor and give them a listen. J.M. Clifford definitely has a way of expressing thoughts through a song along with a very soothing voice.

Rapid fire questions:

What is your favorite Holiday and why? Thanksgiving – FOOOOOOOOOD.

What is your favorite saying/quote? Do. Or do not. There is no try.

What is your dream destination? Patagonia

What state has been your favorite to do a concert/event in? Thomas Point in Maine. Love that Festival.

What was your first car? N/A, I went to NYU and been in NYC ever since. No need for wheels.

What is your dream type of car? A nice BMW

Do you have a hobby outside of music? Loves running – completed a half marathon last year.

What is your favorite kind of Ice Cream? Cookie Dough

Do you have any pet(s) and what are their names? No pets currently but if his wife gets her way, there will be a dog in the near future.

What is your favorite book that you read or author that you like to read? Ernst Hemingway. For Whom the Bell Tolls.

What your favorite subject in school – high school or college? English

What is your favorite movie line? “Stay Frosty” from Aliens 2

Announcements:

JUNE 7 th – ALBUM RELEASE DATE
New album being released:
Title – Trains, Thinkin’ and Drinkin’
Record Label – Brooklyn Basement Records
Songwriters: J.M. Clifford and Ron Pope
Record Release Show scheduled for June 23 rd at Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn, NY

Make sure to head over to https://www.jmcliffordmusic.com for all up-to-date information and merch.