Sammy Clifford shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Sammy, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Who are you learning from right now?
Lately I feel like I’ve been learning so much from my kids.
They can be so sweet and sometimes brutally honest.
And that authenticity keeps me humbled, I wouldn’t trade it for the world though!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Absolutely so my name is Sammy Clifford. I sing and play lead guitar in the band Weather Head. We are a grunge/shoe gaze band from south eastern Kentucky.
We aren’t some big popular band.
But we have so many awesome fans and friends that have really helped us find ourselves over the last few years,
We’ve done a few tours across the country now and even played The whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood a few times we actually have an upcoming show with a band called Vended.
The singer is Corey Taylor’s son and the drummer I believe is clown from slipknot’s son their music is super cool and we’re pretty excited about it. Outside of that I’ve been really focusing the last year in writing new music in Nashville with my band and my solo music.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Growing up, I had it really rough. I had a single mom and we had a lot of music around the house every a few years my dad would get out of prison, and I would start building a relationship with him, but no matter what my mom was always singing and being goofy dancing, and whenever our family split up. And I moved in with my aunt at nine years old.
I spent a lot of time, idolizing musicians and viewing them as these kind of emotional heroes and I think even into my 20s I really latched onto that as sort of a coping mechanism of not really having my parents around.
Now I just see musicians as people because I play music and it’s really just expression and you can call me hippie dippy or whatever but I really believe that sometimes when you’re writing music the universe just hands you songs are like sprinkles little inspiration in there and now I find myself latching onto that feeling more than I do you know my musical influences. Plus, let’s be honest. It’s kind of weird to look up to someone you don’t know. Often times you’ll be disappointed.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
About six months ago, my mom passed away after a long fight with liver failure, and substance abuse, that woman was absolutely a shining light in my life. I was always a mama’s boy growing up and losing her has been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced when she was in the care facility about to pass. I strum songs on my guitar and sang to her, and I saw, even though she was in a coma she would cry tears, and she was warm and I would hold her hand and me, and my sister read her stories from a book.
I find myself still six months out really mourning that person that she was and missing her more than I’ve ever missed anything in my life, but she loved my music and she loved me and I know not giving up and continuing to do that is the greatest gift I could ever give to her and so that’s how I’m working on healing myself through creation and just getting closer with my family staying off social media so much and taking a moment to breathe.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think the biggest mythos or like fabrication the music industry creates it just that you’re gonna be this big rockstar and you’re gonna make millions of dollars and never have to work again.
The truth is music as a career is nothing but work you’re running ads your touring your driving you’re making little amounts of money you’re playing local shows you’re dealing with local band drama because there’s always other people who the second you have even the slightest taste of any kind of success in your small hometown they will immediately turn on you.
The truth is you need to make fans everywhere else and then once you have a following and you’re making money and you’re surviving doing nothing but music that’s when you go back to your hometown to play all the time. Because that’s when people will appreciate what you’re doing.
I’ve never really been about the money when it comes to music I think that’s just such a ridiculous reason to do music for me. It’s just creating and finding ways to express the feelings. I can’t describe in words.
Whenever I stop feeling that is the day I’ll stop pursuing a career and just play for fun.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I often feel most at peace when I’m driving or just being in nature I find myself traveling the country year-round with work and doing music and often times I can find the pure bliss and just truly admiring the moment. I’m in not being glued to my phone, not worrying about what other people have to think about me or say about me or what opinions people have on my creative endeavors.
Outside of that, I feel most at peace when I’m on tour hanging out with my bandmates Daniel, Keegan,Smiddy and our guitarist, Andrew. And our friends in the band, Trippo. Those guys are absolutely incredible people and probably one of my favorite bands out of Kentucky.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @WeatherHeadBand
- Facebook: @WeatherHeadBand
- Youtube: @WeatherHeadBand
Image Credits
Hunter Prewitt
Kirby LeBeau
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
