Clay McClinton’s music is woven together with rawhide and hemp, barbwire and willow reed. He blends country, blues and Tex-Mex to create his own unique sound. With five CDs under his belt, and 15 years of touring, Clay has honed a songwriting style that succeeds in being both deeply personal yet universal.

Few artists have pursued their careers with the clarity and conscious exploration that mark Clay’s self-designed path. He grew up in Fort Worth, TX and began learning guitar and harmonica from his father. At 16, he began to pursue music as a career more seriously and as soon as he graduated he moved to Austin. That would be the first of a series of conscious steps towards his self-development as a musician and songwriter. While in Austin, he absorbed the creative atmosphere and began writing. Clay was never interested in having a cover band. From the beginning he wanted to develop his repertoire of originals before taking to the stage full time.

His next move was a skip across the pond for a trek around Europe. He and 2 musician friends spent four months playing music on the streets and in hostels.

When he returned to the states, Clay decided on a move to Flagstaff, AZ. He began playing in two distinctively different bands where all the players performed predominately their own music. The Blues Project drew on Texas stomp and southern blues for their sound, while Second Harvest was an acoustic blues/bluegrass/folk band. Clay immersed himself in playing live, performing five or six nights a week. After a couple of years in Flagstaff, Clay added The Clay McClinton Band to the mix, in which he and his Telecaster took center stage.

Clay’s relocation to Nashville in 2003 was another conscious move. This time it was to hone his writing and production skills in a town known for the songwriting community and top of the line studios. This is where he created his first and second CDs, formed a tight four-piece band and began touring from coast to coast. They lived on the road for the better part of four years.

In 2008, Clay decided to come full circle and return to Austin. He continues to write, record and perform with no end in sight.