An interview with Myke Clements

Today on our Hot Seat we have a LA based talented artist Myke Clements with us. Lets have a chat with him.

Twist Online : Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Myke Clements : My name is Myke Clements, I’m 27 years and I’m currently living in Los Angeles. I’m originally from Northern California, but I spent the majority of my formative years in Phoenix Arizona. I moved around so much because my Dad is a Pastor.

Twist Online : Who or what inspired you to get into music industry?
Myke Clements : What inspired me was the Relient K album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. I loved that album and because of it I got way into music, which lead to me learning how to play guitar and eventually writing and recording songs.

Twist Online : Tell us about some of your recent work released?
Myke Clements :  In the last year and a half, I have released three very different projects. The first was an instrumental album called No Worry, No Sorrow, that I can best describe as an album of properly arranged rock songs with no lyrics. The next project I released was The Thundering Quiet, an 8 song cinematic score without a movie. Then my most recent project was a three song EP called three.happy.songs that was more of a dance/electronica project.

Twist Online : Our readers would like to know about your upcoming Album?
Myke Clements :  This album is a deeply personal project for me. In November of 2016 I was laid off from my job. My whole department was shut down and my job was no longer needed at the company. It was a very trying time.

I found myself in this weird transitional place.

On one hand, I was reeling from the hit. My thoughts were angry in those first few weeks, “They laid off ME? But I’m Mychal Freaking Clements? I built this department! And they had the audacity to let ME go?” There was a lot of pride wrapped up into it.

On the other hand, as a Christian, I knew that this was part of God’s plan. I knew that he was moving me into something better, and better for me.

I was having to live in the tension between those two places, one of fear and hurt pride and the other in trusting my God to guide me and provide for me, and he did.

In the three months I was unemployed, my wife and I never missed a meal, never missed rent or a car payment, because God would provide money out of nowhere, or money that we were expecting would be way larger than we had thought it would be.

This season is where the name of the album comes from. The album is called “The Layover” because when you are on a  Layover, you are technically traveling and transitioning, but you aren’t making forward progress.

I wrote and recorded this album during the time I was laid off, and these songs contain all of the emotions that were wrapped up in this season. I wrote the last song, Going Home the day I was offered a new job, so it was perfect timing.

I’m so excited to begin releasing this and sharing it with others.

Twist Online : Do you need some inspiration of certain kind of environment for writing lyrics?
Myke Clements : Normally lyrics are very hard for me to write because I don’t always feel like I have something to say. However the lyrics for this album just poured out of me. I think that’s one good side of pain, it often inspires and motivates creativity like no other force. As far as environment, I don’t think there’s any particular environment that I need. I usually write in my little home studio at my desk. Although in Los Angeles we’ve had an abnormally rainy winter, and I would open my window and sometimes just stare out at the rain while I was coming up with lyrics. It was a great environment to be creative in.

Twist Online : You also do day job. How do you manage time? Do you want to keep music as part time or would like to be a full time musician?
Myke Clements : A few years ago I read the book “The On-Purpose Person” and it changed my life in regards to organizing my time. I have my days split up and for different periods of time I work on my goals, whatever they maybe. It’s been such a a blessing to me to figure out what my most important goals and dreams are, then really look at some practical steps to get me to those goals. Once you have a direction, it as simple as building a schedule and then sticking to it. I highly recommend the book!

For me music will probably be a part time thing, I play in my church every Sunday and Wednesday and my writing and recording is more of a creative outlet than anything else. I mean, every musician out there secretly hopes that one day they’ll be able to do it full time, but I’m perfectly content making music on the side and working to provide for my family.

Twist Online : What’s your favorite music genre?
Myke Clements : Oh I love all kinds of music, but my absolute favorite, my JAM, is early 2000’s Christian Pop Punk/Alternative. Bands like Anberlin, Relient K, Falling Up, Switchfoot, Sanctus Real. Although lately I’ve really been digging on Twenty One Pilots.

Twist Online : Have you set some goals to achieve as a music artist?
Myke Clements : I’d like to get my music in the hands of as many people as possible! I’d also like to get a little California tour together and play a few shows. I used to play in this Hardcore band named Hepafilter with the lead singer of a band called Silent Planet, who’s actually going on their first headlinging tour right now. And I miss playing live shows, which I haven’t done in a while.