HOME PAGE

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Clark Paterson

Clark Paterson does not write songs from a safe distance. He writes them from the middle of the wreckage: hospital rooms, court dates, bar shifts at Robert’s Western World, old farmhouses mid-restoration, garages cluttered with vintage car parts, and the strange emotional territory between heartbreak, survival, and redemption.

Raised on his family’s farm near Sandusky, Michigan, Paterson grew up around hard work, old machinery, weathered buildings, and the kind of rural honesty that eventually found its way into his songs. Before settling in East Nashville, he studied at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, then traveled the world with little more than a backpack and a guitar, collecting stories in the most unlikely places.

“I became a backpacker dude and had a good run,” Paterson says. “I’ve played country music in the most unlikely places. I’ve also had the shit beat out of me and been deported.”

Those experiences helped shape a songwriter who can move naturally between grit and poetry, humor and heartbreak, confession and barroom mythology. Paterson describes his sound as “Grindhouse Country,” a fitting name for music that pulls from vintage country, punk rock nerve, dive bar philosophy, dark humor, and the kind of lived experience you cannot fake with a hat and a press photo.

His new record, Are You Lonely Like Me?, keeps that rough-edged spirit intact, but there is a deeper tenderness beneath the surface. Since his last album, Paterson has lived through both devastating loss and profound joy: the sudden death of his father, a long custody battle for his first daughter, multiple heart procedures, two bouts of heart failure, remarriage, and the birth of another child. In between, he restored old homes, worked his father’s farm, brought vintage cars back to life, and kept writing. A lot.

Written with help from longtime collaborator Mark Cline Bates, the songs on Are You Lonely Like Me? find Paterson wrestling with mortality, loneliness, memory, love, the absence of love, family, and the uneasy comedy of living long enough to feel your own body start negotiating against you. His writing is unsentimental without being cold, funny without ducking the pain, and tender without getting soft around the edges.

On “Liver,” Paterson leans into defiance with the line, “It’s my liver and I’ll do what I want with it,” before tossing off, “the least of my concerns are the enzymes of my liver.” It is the kind of humor that does not lunge for a punchline. Paterson delivers hard truths with such dry conviction that you may catch yourself laughing a second before realizing the song just quietly gutted you.

Then there are the moments of aching poetry, including the title track, where he sings, “Like a wave in the sea, like a leafless winter tree, like the songs I sing when the moon hits everything… baby, baby, baby are you lonely like me.” It is a line that feels both plainspoken and haunted, like something overheard through an open window at 2 a.m.

Produced by Eric McConnell, whose credits include work with Jack White, Loretta Lynn, and Todd Snider, and Shawn Byrne, known for his work with Abe Partridge, Jamey Johnson, and Friendly Fire, Are You Lonely Like Me? is atmospheric, cinematic, intimate, and deeply human. The record sounds lived in rather than polished smooth, leaving room for dust, shadow, humor, and ache.

Paterson’s voice remains one of his greatest strengths. Ragged but right, warm and weathered, often hovering somewhere between singing and speaking, it recalls the spirit of Leonard Cohen while remaining unmistakably his own. He does not so much perform songs as haunt them, moving through each line like a ghost with unfinished business and a pretty good sense of timing.

The album features a strong cast of Nashville musicians, including John McTigue, known for his work with Dale Watson, Raul Malo, and Rodney Crowell, on drums; Paul Niehaus of Lambchop and Calexico on pedal steel; and Billy Contreras, whose credits include George Jones and Ricky Skaggs, on fiddle and piano. The record also includes guest appearances from Sierra Ferrell and Abe Partridge, along with background vocals from artist and vocalist Luella Mathes, whose voice drifts through the album like a cracked beam of light cutting through dust and smoke.

Clark Paterson’s songs carry dirt under their fingernails and poetry in their back pockets. They do not try to impress you. They tell the truth, crooked smile and all. With Are You Lonely Like Me?, Paterson delivers a record that is funny, wounded, cinematic, and brutally human: country music for people who have been knocked around by life and somehow still found the nerve to laugh, love, and keep going.

Google	Spotify	Deezer	Breaker
Pocket Cast	Radio Public	Stitcher	TuneIn
IHeart Radio	Mixcloud	PlayerFM	Amazon
Jiosaavn	Gaana	Vurbl	Audius
Reason.Fm

Find our Podcasts on these outlets

Buy Us a Cup of Coffee!

Join the movement in supporting Making a Scene, the premier independent resource for both emerging musicians and the dedicated fans who champion them.

We showcase this vibrant community that celebrates the raw talent and creative spirit driving the music industry forward. From insightful articles and in-depth interviews to exclusive content and insider tips, Making a Scene empowers artists to thrive and fans to discover their next favorite sound.

Together, let’s amplify the voices of independent musicians and forge unforgettable connections through the power of music

You can donate directly through Paypal!

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Order the New Book From Making a Scene

Breaking Chains – Navigating the Decentralized Music Industry

Breaking Chains is a groundbreaking guide for independent musicians ready to take control of their careers in the rapidly evolving world of decentralized music. From blockchain-powered royalties to NFTs, DAOs, and smart contracts, this book breaks down complex Web3 concepts into practical strategies that help artists earn more, connect directly with fans, and retain creative freedom. With real-world examples, platform recommendations, and step-by-step guidance, it empowers musicians to bypass traditional gatekeepers and build sustainable careers on their own terms.

More than just a tech manual, Breaking Chains explores the bigger picture—how decentralization can rebuild the music industry’s middle class, strengthen local economies, and transform fans into stakeholders in an artist’s journey. Whether you’re an emerging musician, a veteran indie artist, or a curious fan of the next music revolution, this book is your roadmap to the future of fair, transparent, and community-driven music.

Get your Limited Edition Signed and Numbered (Only 50 copies Available)  Free Shipping Included