Not much in music is new to Clayton Bellamy, but with his newest project, he's doing his best to forge a fresh path on his journey.
We sat down with Clayton in Toronto before he played an Ole sponsored songwriters circle at Indie Week 2018 to talk about his new direction, his new single, and more.
As a founding member of The Road Hammers, the most successful group in Canadian country music history, Bellamy has been known to fans across Canada for the last 15 years. But now, he's taking country off the table and moving to a rock and roll sound that is right up his alley. We asked about the change, and Clayton told us that it came in the midst of a hard year and a half for him personally. A time that saw him work through the end of a relationship, an injury, and the resulting mantra of "Cover Everything In Love".
When he talks about Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation, the Alberta native invokes a vision of a good old-fashioned southern tent revival. And he told us that idea led him to think about himself in the role of the preacher, and what he would do given 90 minutes to lead the congregation. The result is a rock & roll sound that includes a gospel vibe, messages of peace and love, and an opportunity for everyone listening to be involved in the music.
Note: That same tent revival idea is where The Congregation part of the project comes from. It's a bring everyone together idea that fits perfectly with the "Cover Everything In Love" mantra.
We talked about his new single, Commandment #11 (Love Someone), and asked Clayton what he hopes people take away from the song. His first word was empowerment. He wants the message to hit people and stick. And whether the thoughts are of the current political climate, or a more general day-to-day existence, the idea that "you've got to love someone" is a strong one. He also said he wants it to be a song that makes people reach for the volume and turn it up. As a rock & roll track, that's what he wanted to create, that's what he loves about songs like this one, and that's how he thinks it sounds best.
As we talked more about the song, we got to the early success and reception to it. A smile spread across Clayton's face as he told us how cool it was to have two songs charting in different genres at the same time. He also repeated a statement he'd made on social media, pointing out how awesome it was for him personally to see Commandment #11 (Love Someone) between Danko Jones' Burn In Hell and Rival Sons' Back In The Woods. These are the new experiences and feelings that this project can bring to him. A chance to experience firsts that he might not have known he would again.
And from our side of the table, to see his face and hear his voice as he talked about this new rock & roll energy and expression, there's no doubting that he's loving it.
In the evening, after the interview, we had the chance to see Clayton Bellamy play three songs from his upcoming album, as he shared the stage with Amanda Rheaume and Petric. Along with the single, we heard Super Love and Healing. All three songs were strong and carried that message of love and peace. They were ready for a bigger band and an audience to take them all in. We can't wait to see them played like that.
During the circle, Clayton strummed a beautiful electric guitar. It was almost as if he brought a physical symbol of his transition from country to rock.
Note: During our interview, we did establish that The Road Hammers have always been left of centre in the country music genre and that Clayton has always been known as the rock guy in the group. Those points help to draw a line between his past work and his future with Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation.
Aside from his public career with The Road Hammers and now The Congregation, Bellamy is also known for his songwriting chops. We also know that he loves to get on his motorcycle and ride. So we put the two together and asked him if he ever finds himself on the road coming up with lyrics and new songs. Clayton told us that he'd been thinking about just that concept very recently, referencing a TED Talk that focuses on what your brain does when it's bored. That concept of your brain doing real work when you allow it to be bored is what Clayton sees in riding his bike, avoiding the distractions of a cell phone or the internet, and letting his mind go to work. And sometimes, that work includes songwriting in the perfect setting of an open road.
As we chatted about his new direction, we asked Clayton about his goals for the new project. He told us that he hopes to tour new places with his rock music. Places in Europe and around the world that his country music career hasn't taken him. And so we asked if he could build a tour for Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation, who would he love to hit the road with. It didn't take long for him to have a list of names that included The Black Crowes, Rival Sons, The Trews, and more.
From what we've heard so far, we can see that tour as a pretty great night of rock & roll music waiting to happen.
Before we wrapped up our afternoon conversation, we got Clayton to play a round of 5 Quick Questions with us. And then, after a bite to eat, we got that songwriter's circle taste of the Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation album that we'll be ready for in spring 2019. Stay tuned for more information on that as we get closer to the release.
5 Quick Questions with Clayton Bellamy
Q1. If you are on a long drive and can only choose one album to put on and let play, what do you choose?
CB. Rival Sons' Great Western Valkyrie.
Q2. Is there a song that you wish you had written?
CB. Clayton had a couple of answers, but the first one off the top of his head was Eric Church's Kill A Word.
Q3. Do you have a favourite venue to play?
CB. Clayton had two answers for this one:
1) The Grand Ole Opry (Nashville)
2) The Opera House (Toronto)
Q4. Do you have a dream vacation spot in mind?
CB. Clayton told us that he would love to get on his bike and do a tour of the Isle Of Man.
Q5. Is there an artist that you think people should be paying more attention to?
CB. Tedeschi Trucks Band
Thanks again to Clayton Bellamy for taking the time to hang out and chat with us. Follow him on his social media platforms ( Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to stay up to date with news and new releases. And as he told us, Join The Congregation!
