Terri Clark Discusses New Album "Some Songs"

Some things never change. Occasionally this is a good thing. It’s definitely the case with the strong but smooth vocals of country music female powerhouse Terri Clark, whose new album Some Songs releases today. The title track to the album has already been released as a single and has received significant radio airplay in the U.S. and in Canada, where Clark was born and continues to live part-time.

Powerful vocals propelled Clark to the forefront of country music first in the mid-1990s with a number of hit songs including her single “Girls Lie Too” which reached the #1 spot on the charts. Twenty years later her voice is as strong as ever, and the album contains several songs modern enough to be played on today’s radio while remaining true to the classic Terri Clark country sound of her early hits.

Clark credits the overall sound of the album to Nashville legendary producer Michael Knox, who she worked with from the earliest stages of choosing songs to its final production. “Michael has a real pulse on Nashville, and he knows everyone. He was able to bring in several different writing groups and we listened to several songs from each of them. We had so many great songs to choose from,” Clark explained. “He did an amazing job and I am so proud of the production quality. He really deserves so much credit.”

Clark is the co-writer on five of the songs on the album, but chose each of the songs carefully and for a certain reason, including “Bad Car” and “Cheated On You” both penned by Brandy Clark. “I love 'Cheated On You'” because it’s a fun song. It’s vengeful, and yet it has a fun kind of tongue-in-cheek idea to it. It might sound a little more like some of my older music,” Clark said. She describes “Longer” as one of the more personal songs for her, and said it is slated be the next single released.

The title track, “Some Songs” was one Clark knew she had to record the moment she heard it, and she said it was chosen by the radio production group from the label as the first single because of its contemporary sound and because its subject matter fit the timing of its summer release. “Wheels” is also personal for Clark, as it could be to every person who spends time on the road, and she describes “Just Add Water” as her “happy place”.

If anything has remained as strong as Clark’s vocals over her 20 years in the business, it is her fan base, which continues to grow. The album, while created in partnership with Universal Canada, was partially-funded through PledgeMusic, a fan-based funding program, which Clark did not choose easily but has found herself very happy with the results.

“I wasn’t convinced in the beginning,” Clark stated. “It took a while to sell me on the idea, but it’s turned out to be a really neat concept.”

Under the PledgeMusic program, unique one-on-one experiences with the artist and unique purchasing opportunities are available to the fans, whose money is then used to fund the project.

“One of my favorite things has been the one-on-one time with people,” Clark said. “Now I am completely a fan (of PledgeMusic). It has been a really great experience.”

Some fans purchased meet and greet or back stage experiences with Clark at her shows, and others purchased outings with her such as an afternoon of golf or an evening bowling. Autographed clothing and memorabilia were also available, as were signed copies of the album. Clark’s fans were also given the opportunity to participate in live web chats and to preview music from the album before its release.

Funding the album with this method not only allows the fans access to the artist they might not otherwise experience, but also allows the artist more freedom and more choices in the creative process. “It’s still a team effort,” Clark explained. “But there’s more freedom involved. Less decision-by-committee kinds of things. It's important to me to have a strong voice in the creative process. At the end of the day, it's my name on it."

Clark will be touring over the next few months, including at least two shows with Alan Jackson. Next year she is scheduled to tour with country music favorites Joe Diffie and Mark Chesutt.

Some Songs is available for purchase at iTunes and on Clark’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter. We will have a second interview with Terri Clark tomorrow. Also, look forward to win one of a handful of autographed copies of Some Songs. Details about the contest will be included with Part 2.