Give A Listen: Clark Paterson "Sweet Baby"

​“Experience builds character, says singer-songwriter Clark Paterson.” You have to do shit to truly write great songs.”
 
Clark Paterson has done shit. From the family farm to the Chicago School of Folk Music; from the high-dollar world of Windy City real estate to seeing the world from a backpack; from a string of dingy honky tonks to a home in Nashville, Clark brings worlds of experience to his 35 years on the planet––and to his third and latest record, The Final Tradition. Recorded in Nashville by indie producer Eric McConnell (Todd Snider, Loretta Lynn, Will Kimbrough), The Final Tradition is no sunny travelogue. Clark’s songs have real narrative force and reflect the darkness and raw energy typically found in vintage country and punk––call it Grindhouse Country.
 
Assisting Clark and Eric are some of the Nashville indie scene’s grittiest players, including steel guitarist Paul Niehaus (Lambchop, Calexico), drummer John McTigue (Raul Malo, Brazilbilly), and Tim Carroll (Elizabeth Cook, Todd Snider). An experienced bunch, they know how to scream out of the gate, such as on “Kansas Saturday Night,” or lay low on “My Hands Know The Touch." One of the album's standout tracks, "Sweet Baby" is a vividly told traditional country story song filled with pedal steel and clever lyrics delivered by Paterson's forthright vocals.
Give it a listen below.
 
Of the record, Clark says,  “I think the record has a sense of story and purpose that most current records don't,” he says. “I play guitar and focus on writing music that appeals to me and is not being done on the radio. I love old country because it’s earnest and has an edge and there is a narrative that is largely missing from modern music. I love the darkness and the fact that it’s polarizing. And I love 70s punk rock like Iggy and The Stooges, The Ramones, and The Clash. It has balls and a message and always felt honest….”

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