Meet Darren Claxton, a Derby-based musician who was originally from Cambridgeshire and The North. He has been in the music industry for nearly three decades now since 1992. Darren first began his musical journey as a guitarist, drummer, and backing vocalist before finally deciding to go solo and create his own material, and since then he has never looked back. Adam Humphries reports.
His musical tastes span back to his early years listening to music during the ’70s and ’80s, mainly what his dad was into. However, the journey itself hasn’t been that steady as at one point he did nearly consider quitting due to the pandemic but chose not to and instead continued. As a musician, his music is a nice acoustic, melodic mix which sounds great. Over the past couple of years, he’s made some good songs such as Chapter’s, Talk a While, Nothing’s in My Way, and Woke up late this morning thinking ‘same shit different day’, the very latter being based on the day in the life of a parent. Keep a listen for this guy.
“I write about my own life experiences and others close to me”
Adam Humphries: So, you have been a musician in the music industry since 2013, a little over seven years now, has it been much of a journey?
Darren Claxton: Well, that was the year of my first EP release so I would agree that it was my official entrance into the digital music industry. I have in fact been a performing musician since 1992 as a drummer, guitarist, and backing vocalist, which was a lifetime ago before the advent of the internet and social media as we know it today.
AH: What inspired you to get into music?
DC: I was raised by my dad during the 70s and 80s and was exposed to some awesome music. He has always been a music lover and collector of vinyl and CDs. I’ve definitely inherited his eclectic taste in music that’s for sure. Dad was always playing his vinyl records on a top-spec pioneer stereo that he’d saved hard to buy in the early ’70s and was on more than our old TV. I vividly remember albums by Pink Floyd, Hendrix, Supertramp, Santana, Wishbone Ash, and Black Sabbath playing throughout my early years and well into my teens. These bands are somehow imprinted into my musical life and subconsciously inspired me to pick up the drum sticks at the age of 8.
AH: As a musician, how would you describe your sound?
DC: Now, this is always a tricky question to answer because music genres can be very subjective. Let us say that my sound has folk, blues, and soul roots delicately embellished with country vibes.
AH: In the music industry, many people argue that it’s easy to get pigeon-holed, would you say that this can also be the case?
DC: Absolutely, many creative industries such as art and film are often pigeonholed, which is generally for the purposes of marketing and sales. I always struggle to place myself in any pigeonhole and just settle for the generic ‘Singer-Songwriter’ label, I’d like to be placed in a more specific genre if that’s possible? Maybe Country-Folk would be a better description.
AH: So, in an age where artists can be easily pigeon-holed would you say it’s easier, harder to be more self-made, or has it made no difference?
DC: As I said before, we independent musicians will always be tricky to pigeonhole, because we are REAL musicians in the sense that we sit down with our guitars or pianos and tell our story through song. We are then labeled as a ‘Singer-Songwriter’, placed into that oversaturated market, and proceed to be lost in a huge traffic jam of fellow songwriters on the internet.
That is just easy for the big streaming services, and that’s fine, but we must also remember that there are many interesting musical undercurrents that you can hear in our creations which could crossover into all kinds of other pigeonholes.
AH: You’re based in Derby, as a musician how would you have described the music scene in its heyday?
DC: That’s correct, I live in a small village 10 miles from Derby city center which is handy for the larger venues I’ve played, like The Derby Folk Festival and Book café. I’m originally from Cambridgeshire and moved north in 2008. I reignited my songwriting career in 2010-2013 and played lots of venues across the county and into Nottinghamshire. I had a break from gigging and started again a few years ago, but I’m always writing and recording ideas.
AH: There are quite a few artists from Derby such as White Town, Evil Scarecrow, The Struts, and Lost Alone. Have you ever heard any of their music over the years?
DC: I’ve heard of the Struts, which are a glam rock band with catchy rock tunes, they were signed to Interscope records and have sold heaps of albums.
AH: In regard to your song-writing, what do you write about and what influences you?
DC: I write about my own life experiences and others close to me. There are many references to Mental Health struggles in my songs, and as well as those issues I also have ADHD.
AH: Would you ever be open to collaborations?
DC: I have collaborated on a few different projects since 2018 which were musicians and producers, I’ve met on various Blockchains like Steemit. My Little Words EP and singles – CRAZY LITTLE TOWN, BETTER DAY and INSIDE YOUR SOUL were mixed and mastered by one of my new musical friends Davood Faramarzi. We have never met in real life but have managed to stay in touch and work on a 5 track EP! Davood is all the way over in the Middle East and it’s tricky at certain times due to political and religious issues in his country. We have mixed both of our styles and produced a real gem of an EP that not many have heard. I also did some vocals for German Producer D-VINE – The track was called BE THE CHANGE and was played on BBC INTRODUCING in the East Midlands back in October 2020.
AH: If you got the choice of who you’d like to collaborate with, who would you go for?
DC: Alive – Elbow and Reef
If these were still with us – Hendrix and BB King – I’m a blues player at heart!
AH: I’ve heard a few of your singles, ‘Chapters’, ‘Talk a While’ and ‘Nothing’s in my Way’ which all sound really good. What was the story behind them?
DC: Firstly, thanks for your kind words and for listening.
‘Chapters’ was written about me as a young angry ginger kid and how things always turn out for the best when you get the help you need. Tomorrow is a new day hence, Chapters Just Begun.
‘Talk a While’ has happy connotations of mental health issues and trying to help others around you that may need support. This often takes the onus off of oneself, which is a healthy distraction from your own problems.
Nothing’s in my Way’ is my most popular track on Spotify with over 40,000 streams to date. It’s an upbeat, lively and commercial sounding Indie Rock track that also touches on anxiety issues and the fight through the quagmire of life’s shit storm. Oops, my first offensive word in this interview, and for good reason. When I wrote this song, there was this line that just popped into my head…
Woke up late this morning thinking ‘same shit different day’.
It just had to stay, it flowed, it had a playful non-offensive meaning, well, in my mind anyway. My children (7&11) still giggle when I sing it at home during live streams!
Then came the day that I decided to release it through my distributer…DOH! – He said the word shit and now must have that letter ‘E’ next to this release. I remember buying Rage Against The Machine’s debut album in 92’ and that had the ‘Explicit Content’ sticker plastered across the front. It’s all good though, I was an adult and understood that those lyrics Zack was screaming out were in context with the subject of those songs. I digress, what I’m getting at here is, do we really need to make a big deal about one mildly offensive word in a song these days?
They’ve got a nice melodic feel about them.
Thanks again. It’s funny, because I never really set out to write a catchy melodic song that’s festival chorus ready, they just seem to happen, and I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than a few hours creating a song.
AH: Since March and December of last year we’ve been in Lockdown due to the Covid pandemic, has this had any impact on you as a musician?
DC: Massive impact! Like I was saying in the Bodega question, it was going to launch my long-awaited music career and I had things lined up and planned. I spent March and April in a very confused and questionable state of mind. At one point I felt like giving up on this dream, I’m glad I didn’t.
AH: And do you miss performing at live music venues, one of the reasons being is that musicians have been unable to play at music venues for over a year and there is that instant interaction from the crowds?
DC: I’m a performer and have been gigging for so many years. I love to meet new people and fellow musicians and bands, network and arrange other gigs with new contacts. That’s been very difficult online but not impossible, this interview is a prime example of being proactive on social media.
AH: So, no doubt when music venues open again, you’ll be looking forward to performing and touring again.
DC: Absolutely mate! The Bodega already offered me other gigs and at their sister venue in the city. Since live-streaming most of last year and up to now, I have a small army of DC fans who are always asking if I can come and play in their town or city. I have already discussed this with Mrs. C and said I was going on a worldwide Sofa Surfing Tour if I get enough sponsorship LOL.
AH: Where can people listen to your music and watch your videos?
DC: You can find all my music and socials here on my Linktree.
https://linktr.ee/darrenclaxton
AH: What can we expect from you later this year?
DC: Look out for my name on gig posters and on local radio as BBC Radio Leicester will be playing my next single very soon. I will also be releasing new music this year and live streaming on my Facebook and Instagram pages.
