About the artist
As the son of a preacher and an oil painter, American singer-songwriter JD Clayton fell deeply in love with music on Sunday mornings while sitting in wooden pews at his church. He got his start playing guitar thanks to some guidance from his grandfather, who played banjo in a bluegrass band, and later also took up piano, drums, banjo, harmonica, and ukulele. While attending university, Clayton started a band with another student, played at the campus and in local bars, discovered songwriting and released his first EP. He spent time in Nashville, creating his debut album, 2023’s Long Way From Home, which was well-received. His music has been described as infectious, down-to-earth country rock, and Clayton soon connected with like-minded artists, sharing bills and opening for the likes of Dwight Yoakam and Hank Williams Jr. After moving back to his native Arkansas, Clayton started working on his second album, Blue Sky Sundays, which will be released this month.