Claymation and Indie-Rock artist, Friends Of Clay, debuts second single ‘Growing Up’
Everything you see and hear was brought to life by creative polymath and one-man show, Clay Priskorn. The gifted storyteller casually picked up clay animation as a new hobby in quarantine.
Now back with his second single ‘Growing Up’ and his third ‘Livin Time’ (Out November 6th) announced since we spoke, we chatted to Clay about new music and his exciting new hobby.
Welcome to Flavourmag! How are you? Have you found yourself being more creative this year?
Thanks for having this interview with me! I’m doing great. I think I’ve become way more creative during his quarantine period. I learned how to do stop motion animation, and have really taken my visual ideas to another level. My newest single “Livin Time” was written this past year and I think it’s one of the best pieces of art I’ve created.
What inspired you to create ‘Growing Up’?
I think being isolated in a dorm room and reminiscing about my childhood led me to create ‘Growing Up’. I was missing my family and I was on my bed singing this melody that was resonating with me. It turned into the main theme for growing up, and it’s one of the coolest songs I’ve done.
What’s your songwriting process like? Do you have a set routine or is it pretty much different each time?
It’s different every time. Sometimes I’ll just pick up an acoustic guitar and start drumming and humming melodies. Other times I’ll build a song starting with drums and bass and see where it takes me. It’s good to create songs with different structures because it pushes you to go outside your comfort zone.
We hear you picked up clay animation as a hobby over quarantine, What made you decide to use this idea for your music video? Was it easy to learn?
Yah I learned Claymation over the past 5 months and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. It has let me think outside the box and allowed me to make worlds with no limitations. I love “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and watching Claymation and stop motion come to life. I think that really inspired me to learn it. It wasn’t as difficult to learn because I’ve been filming videos for years now and I know my way around a camera. The hardest part was learning what looked good on film, and it’s super time-consuming.
When you were growing up, which artists/records did you hold dear?
Every Beatle album, “The White Album” especially. The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana’s “In Bloom.”
What is your earliest music-related memory?
When I was 6 years old my dad and mom got me a drum set for Christmas. I’m such a heavy sleeper that my dad was able to assemble the whole thing in my room while I was passed out so that when I woke up on Christmas it was ready to play in my room. That was honestly the coolest experience as a kid, and I’ll never forget that.
When life gets back to some normality, is there one artist or band you’d love to tour with?
I think if we were able to tour with any band it would be The Red Hot Chili Peppers or Cage The Elephant. Both fan bases would really like our music, and I think it would be the best experience ever to tour with them.
What’s one thing fans would be surprised to learn about you?
That I make all the Claymation videos by myself in my room. I think people don’t yet understand that I make the videos and record all the music at my home! It’s really a cool experience because it really is authentically me and is always genuine in my art.
What would be the theme tune to your life?
That’s a good question. I think it’s a little “curb your enthusiasm”. My life can be so ridiculous at times, but you just can’t take things too seriously. I love Larry David, that guy is a comedic genius!
What’s next for you? Can we expect any new music this year?
My newest single “Livin Time” comes out on November 6th! It’s such a great song and has a very unique and fun animation that comes with it. I’m going to release one more single after that, and then my full-length album in the new year! It’s gonna be a big 2021 for us!