Clark Blogs

Off we go into a new year! I’ve talked with quite a few folks who are feeling pretty optimistic about 2009. Many of them feel the change in elected officials will be good for the country, many of them think the economy is about to turn around, and in general it seems everyone is just glad to have last year over. I can say that ‘08 had its fair share of challenges for me, and 2009 is already looking like it is off to a better start than last year.

I try to have a positive outlook not just at the start of a new year, but every day. For the most part, things seem to go in the direction that you expect them to go. If you think things will get better, they usually do. Not always, of course, but in general. I find optimists to be happy, pessimists to be bummed, both because of what they expect. So I guess what I’m suggesting is this: don’t wait for outside forces to make you happy. Just expect the best and work towards it.

I have been working towards putting a truly world-class band together, and I’m nearly there. I have two really good players that are willing to push themselves extremely hard in order to attain my vision: Joel Baer on drums, & Darryl Andrus on bass. We have a really, really good show right now, & we have so much more planned. You will be thrilled with the end result. (I can’t say too much at this point. I want some of it to be a surprise.) Anyone who came to our show at Bar 3 this past weekend (Jan 3, 2009) knows just how good this line-up is now, and I’ll bet nearly every one of them is anxious to see what we have up our sleeves.

Now that the holidays are behind us, I can jump back into the recording process. There is a lot to do yet, and the multitude of delays last year laid my schedule to waste. (My injuries last August, the new roof, the plumbing & electrical issues, the new studio technology upgrade with a giant learning curve, the auditioning process for the new band, the enormous search for an agent, etc.) I am committed to spending time every single day in the studio, either recording or mixing, until this new release is done. We will be doing a few shows, of course, but the majority of the next couple of months is going to be in the studio. As much as I love the holidays, I really enjoy getting back to my routine after they are over. I am so excited to be back at recording, it’s really fulfilling in a way I can’t adequately describe.

Well, I think that’s all for now, I just wanted to post a little “State of the Clark” at the start of the year. Have a great 2009!

Clark