Today we’d like to introduce you to Clarke Hallum.
Clarke, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a musician and singer-songwriter, LA had a natural pull on me. I craved being surrounded by a rich creative community in a city where the arts come first. However, my roots are in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in Olympia, Washington, in a deeply creative local scene. I think that Olympia really nutured my artistic growth and fed my desire to partcipate in the process of artistic creation. I started out performing in musical theatre, but the music is always what inspired me. As I went on, I felt that music spoke to me in a way that made life more fulfilling. To hear and the stories of others and resonate with their experiences has always been one of the most essential ways that I understand my life. I began playing guitar and writing songs when I was 14. Shortly thereafter, I started jamming with one of my closest friends, Lucas, in Olympia. We slowly started to play with other friends, and before we knew it we had a band. The moment I knew that I was called to be a musician was when that band played a show in a small DIY venue at the end of our senior year of high school. We packed that small, dingy cafe with all of our friends and to share in that experience and voice those songs that I had poured my heart into, gave me hope for my life ahead. I then went onto play in bands in college in upstate New York and then afterwards back in the Northwest. Always with friends, always enriched by the love and appreciation we had for each other’s musical expression. After spending two years bicycle travelling across the US and Europe, where I had infinite amounts of time to ponder what I wanted to do with the next years of my life, I knew I had to commit myself to my musical life. My friend, Jaron Crawford, was forming a band in LA called Touch. and he invited me to come down and jam with them. Once I did, and I got to witness the creative community around them here, I was sold. I moved here to pursue music in April, 2023 and have been working at that dream ever since. I’m currently the singer, guitarist and songwriter of in a indie rock band called SHEEP. This project has been the most meaningful outlet and collaborative group that I’ve had in my years of playing. I am so excited to see where this group will go and the road ahead of us.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The musical highway has not always been easy, but I can honestly say that there’s nothing else in the world that I’d rather be doing that making music. There are constant struggles to stay inspired, collaborate with others, and reach an audience. Inspiration ebbs and flows and can be a fickle thing. But I find that there is something so cathartic and almost mystical about the experience of channeling musical/lyrical energy to create an interpreation of my life experiences. I always feel that I am better able to piece together the puzzle pieces of my life by feeling a melody, writing my thoughts, and weaving together the sweet relationship of verse to chorus.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My creative work consists of writing, recording, and arranging songs for my personal music career as well as my band SHEEP. I specialize in composing original rock, indie, folk, and pop music. I am connected in a great musical community of artists, filmmakers, and others that allow me to merge wonderful, synergistic projects together that elevates everyone’s work to new levels. I am most proud of my solo releases and the music video I created with my friend and director, Sam Ripley. for my song Landed. I am also currently deeply invested in spearheading the development of SHEEP. We have been playing shows around town, recording, and working with SoCal Indie Musicians as our management. We have a great momentum and have already released two demo tracks. Our first official single will be released on Friday, July 11th! The song is called About You Again. I’ve released this song before as a solo release, but now it has been reimagined with the rest of the SHEEP band. Stay tuned!
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
There is something so unique, yet so classic about moving to LA. Many of us here arrive with big dreams and visions of Hollywood stars. The stars may not always shine bright on the boulevard, but they are forever etched in our imagination. This city pulls a worldwide community of hidden gems that are just waiting to be dusted off, uncovered, and brought to the light. I hope that my footsteps may lead to somewhere better, where art can take the foreground in my life. It’s a long road, but it’s the only road that I’d want to travel down.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sheepband.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bandofsheep?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bandosheep
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bandofsheep
- Other: https://linktr.ee/clarkehallum
Image Credits
Julien Heck
Sam Ripley
Cole
Tri Reschke
