Broadtexter Weekly

Jonathan Clay has written a true soul singer/songwriter hit with his song ‘This One’s For Me’.  The lyric THIS ONE’S FOR ME / AND WHO I WANNA BE seals the deal for me.  With guitar chops to boot, this singer/songwriter has written a perfect song in my book.  If I had to compare it to anyone I would have to say it reminds me of what I like best from Jonny Lang.  This song has hints of Jonny Lang’s hits ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Red Light’ while still being totally unique and original.

Clay manages to merge the genres of blues and singer/songwriter seamlessly.  One of the things I find most interesting is how he manages the chord structures of his songs.  On ‘This One’s For Me’ he keeps traditional blues I / IV / V chords ending the verse on the V chord.  However, rather than changing his chord for the downbeat of the chorus, he stays on the Bb and has his voice sing the 5th above his new Tonic chord.  I also love the slow build of the rocking Bb chord going up a whole step to the C and then speeding it up with a cool walk up from the F to the G hanging on the Bb before finally going up to the V chord and then resolving back to where he started the verses on an F chord.  In my opinion it’s A perfect blues/soul structure.

Of course, the chords would mean nothing without the right lyrics and Clay also has huge powers with his words.  His songs are very genuine and you can tell they are written about real people and real relationships in his life.  It’s no wonder at all that Jonathan has been recognized by some of the biggest TV shows today.  His music has been heard on MTV’s The Real World, Newport Beach, and The Hills.  I think that Jonathan would also appeal to fans of John Mayer, Jesse McCartney, Howie Day, and Lifehouse.  

What’s maybe most amazing about Jonathan Clay is that he is only 22 years old.  I am sure that this is going to be an artist to watch in the years to come.  Jonathan can be seen touring with another Broadtexter artist Todd Carey.  Be sure to check out his Myspace page for a full tour list.