Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Clinton.
Mandy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Pearl Crush is my solo electro-pop project. I’ve played music virtually my whole life, learning piano as a kid, playing the oboe throughout high school, and then picking up the guitar in college; but this is my first full-fledged solo project where I have full control and am writing, producing and recording everything myself. I’ve been writing songs for about ten years, but it only occurred to me recently that had to power and agency to do everything myself.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s definitely not been a linear path for me. I started playing my music out at bars and stuff my last year of college, but I took a long break from pursuing music in any serious way for several years after. I had moved back to Houston after I graduated and was trying “to be a more serious person” and figure out what career to pursue and where to put my energy. I was floundering in my personal life in various ways and just generally pretty unhappy in my early 20s. I start playing in some indie bands and did that for a few years, but it was some difficult experiences with those projects that really pushed me to take the reigns and go out on my own as a solo artist.
While I was being fulfilled creatively/musically, I desired to have control over how the work was visually presented and represented to the world and I wanted control of when I could record and release my music. In a collaborative band, I tend not to push too hard and hide behind the desires or hang-ups of the other members. I think I needed the experience of taking the reigns and doing everything myself to find my confidence as an artist. So, last February, I put out my first release, a 7″, on vinyl and everything has been growing and growing ever since. Just in the last six months, I’ve gotten to play Day for Night, In Bloom and KTRU Outdoor Show! Thinking about it is kind of surreal, and I’m just really grateful for all of these opportunities and the people who have encouraged and uplifted me along the way. This June I’ll be releasing my first EP!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pearl Crush – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a musician/producer/songwriter. Pearl Crush is just me writing, producing and recording all the music. I would say the genre is emotional electro-pop with ambient and R&B influences. I play with a band sometimes. They’re some of the most talented, coolest people I know. My music is personal, so my experiences and perspectives are what set me apart from other artists. I would also say my production and songwriting styles are both pretty unique also.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The EP release this summer is my next focus! It’s a 5 song EP coming out on vinyl on Poison Moon Records, the record label I co-run: http://poisonmoonrecords.com/
I’ll be organizing a local record release show and then will be hitting the road for some out of town gigs in support of the release.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pearlcrush.bandcamp.com/releases
- Email: pearlcrushmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pearl.crush/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearlcrushmusic/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0saMfFwJEko8T5m50PVVmL
Image Credit:
Amiri Boykin, Giovanni Guillén, Claudia Osorio, “First Blush b/w Semiprecious Stone” Katie Edwards, Kristin Massa, Daniela Galindo
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