Singer, Songwriter, Jupiterian
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Venus: Aquarius
Rising: Pisces
“I’m a person who’s very focused on the creative side of things. I will write until my brain is empty and meticulously record layer after layer for a piece no matter how long it takes. Even on the marketing side with photoshoots and videos, I love designing, visualizing and bringing a concept to life!”
Clara
Clara started releasing songs to the public in 2020, but has been an artist at heart since before she was five. Born in Kimberley, BC, she was drawn to music thanks to Disney movies and musicals she watched as a kid. Clara’s parents noticed her budding talent and signed her up for music lessons. She said, “I performed in musical theatre all throughout growing up. I’m a classically trained singer, I learned a bunch of instruments, and I got my Bachelor’s degree in performing arts. I’ve always been an avid writer, and I’ve always loved creating stories and poems.” In addition to singing, she plays piano, guitar, oboe, bassoon, ukulele (baritone and alto), the accordion, and kalimba.
Aside from making music, Clara is also an actor and music teacher! Currently residing in the city of Vancouver, her schedule can vary depending on whatever is on her plate. Some days she’ll be on a film or tv set, other days she’ll spend hours at the studio writing and recording. “I love being busy, so days where I spend the mornings doing auditions, the afternoons teaching, and the evenings cozied up writing and recording at home are some of my favourites. In typical Sagittarius fashion, I like to mix things up and keep things new and interesting!”
In terms of her work as a recording artist, Clara considers herself to be “a blend of dreamy pop and folk with some alternative elements.” A lot of her influence comes from the sounds of Celtic music, much thanks to her family’s Scottish heritage. While Sagittarius are recognized as the explorers of the zodiac, Clara’s ability to take you into another realm through her music can be largely attributed to her Pisces rising. Pisces love to dream, and often feel torn between two worlds, which is why they’re represented as two fish swimming in opposite directions. On the upside, anytime a Pisces rising is involved in the arts, there’s an ability to use art as a way to both entertain and enchant.
Like many independent artists trying to build their career, Clara has also noticed the influence that social media has on promoting and getting her work out there. “I think the positive side is that it is a lot easier to share your music and start your own career now that it was even ten years ago, but the downside I see is there’s a lot of focus put on making music that is marketable to the masses, and I think it can squish creativity a little bit in favour of things that ‘might go viral’.” Despite having her own unique sound, Clara definitely feels the pressure at times, but she has many people in her surroundings who are there to remind her the importance of remaining authentic in pursuit of one’s goals.
Luckily Clara isn’t a stranger to knowing how to stand out. With Venus in Aquarius, it’s almost impossible not to notice her in some way. Venus in Aquarius is the artist that dares to be different by envisioning the possibilities, and enjoys the idea of creating something that can make people think and ask questions, much thanks to Aquarius being naturally ruled by Uranus, the planet of revolution and innovation. Her music is reminiscent of 90s-witchy pop and sounds like it belongs in an episode of Shadowhunters, or the kind of music that you’d enjoy while chilling with your friends on the beach. And even though having Venus in the twelfth house can make Clara a bit more of an introvert, she still finds a way to let her skills shine through, and does so unapologetically.
When it comes to being a part of today’s music industry, Clara tries her best to find a balance between being an artist and building her brand. “I’m a person who’s very focused on the creative side of things. I will write until my brain is empty and meticulously record layer after layer for a piece no matter how long it takes. Even on the marketing side with photoshoots and videos, I love designing, visualizing and bringing a concept to life! But as an indie artist, the creative side is only half the work. The other half is self-promotion and networking.” She says it’s easy to get distracted whenever inspiration strikes, and that the key is to manage her time in order to make it all work.
Another thing she points out is how important it is for artists to take that step in actually putting themselves out there, which can seem daunting. At first, she felt a bit isolated since she was mostly sharing her music with friends and family. “But this year I started to believe in myself and follow my intuition a lot more, and that resulted in me sending a lot of cold emails, posting a lot more on Instagram and TikTok, and following and connecting with a lot of other indie musicians. Since then I’ve met some incredible people, grown my listener base, and found some great new artists that I listen to regularly!”
Aside from her current sound, she also wants to explore Celtic music. “I think delving into the Celtic realm and doing a specifically-Celtic track would be so fun! Or venturing further into the alternative side and creating something dreamy and dark like Evanescence.” One collaboration Clara would love to make happen is with Sleeping at Last, a musical project led by singer-songwriter Ryan O’Neal, as well as Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. “[They’re] two of my idols so the opportunity to write and create something with either one of them would be incredible.”
Right now Clara is working on an eight-song album. The album is “projected for a fall-winter release.” In the meantime, you have till Monday May 30th at 3pm Eastern to vote for her in CBC Music’s Toyota SearchLight (vote here)!
Karina
To listen to Clara’s music, you can find her on Soundcloud, Spotify or whatever is your preferred streaming platform. Be sure to follow her on Instagram and Tiktok @clarainacloud.
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