Get To Know: Callista Clark [Exclusive Interview]

A fast-blossoming Georgia girl whose vocal prowess and writing depth prove she’s mature well beyond her years. That, perhaps, is one way to describe country newcomer, Callista Clark.

Back in 2013, Clark posted her stirring cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” Today, that video has amassed 1.1 million views on YouTube and a whopping 28 millions on Facebook. Other covers of classics like Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and The Eagles’ “Desperado” have also garnered well over 100k and 120k views, respectively. It was this young teenage girl’s gift for singing and courage to share her voice with the world that landed her a management deal with industry power player Scooter Braun (Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Dan + Shay) and record deal with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records.

On Monday (March 29), Clark will have her first ever single, “It’s ‘Cause I Am,” shipped to country radio. The tune is one of five tracks off her debut EP, Real To Me. Sounds Like Nashville got to chat with the talented 17-year-old recently about her journey to Nashville, musical influences and the autobiographical collection of songs. Spoiler: “It’s ‘Cause I Am” was inspired by a complete (guy) stranger who looked down on her as she lugged her guitar and drink while trying to get the door at Starbucks. You’ll have to read on to find out the full story…

Introducing the next artist you have to “Get To Know”: Callista Clark.

SLN: What was life like growing up in Georgia? How did you get into country music?

CC: Well, country is just who I am. Everyone around here just listens to country music and that’s our lifestyle. So I feel like that’s why I’m in country music. It’s just natural, and it’s just who I am. I’m from Zebulon, Georgia. It’s a very small town and everyone knows everybody. I grew up in a very musical family. I would lead worship in my granddad’s small church every single Sunday and just play as many little venues as I could. It all just started from there.

Was there a moment in your life that made you certain you wanted to be a country singer?

Yes! So, I grew up pretty shy, and I’m still pretty reserved till this day. But I’ve been singing since I could talk. I had a show at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta when I was 14. I had just started writing songs and playing in front of people. That was the first show when it was just me and my guitarist, who’s also 17 now. We went on the stage and realized that this is the first time people paid, bought tickets, came to see us, and came to see me. It wasn’t a festival where people were just there and happened to drop by. It wasn’t this last minute, “Oh, wow,” kind of thing. They came on purpose to see me, and it felt so cool. I could say anything, any kind of a story, be as honest as I wanted to behind a song, and they just loved it. That was when it felt right and natural to me. 

You’ve really built quite a fanbase from the ground up through your cover videos on YouTube and other social media outlets. What sparked this idea?

I had been posting on my socials for a while and it was just for fun and to keep in touch with some of my friends from school. I was in a bunch of singing groups growing up throughout the whole state of Georgia. So, it was a great way for me to follow my other musical friends at that time and spread whatever I was learning and loving. It started from there, just being fun, and it gradually turned into this thing where I was getting more and more followers. And before that, I didn’t realize it was such a big platform to reach that many people. I never thought of it that way. I posted a video of me singing “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” by Creedence Clearwater Revival at 13. The video’s views started [going up], and it now has 20 million views. That’s how my manager, Scooter Braun, and his partner Allison Kaye saw me for the first time. They emailed me and flew me out to meet them the next week, which was pretty overwhelming at 13! And then, I got to meet Scott Borchetta and start working with Big Machine when I was 14. So, it was pretty surreal! It feels very magical. The word I’ve been using a lot is “surreal,” because I’ve been working with them for three to four years now, and it still doesn’t feel like it’s happening. I still don’t know what they see in me. It’s just the most crazy thing, and I’m doing all this through my music room! So it’s the craziest experience ever. 

You embarked on a virtual radio tour recently. How is that going?

It’s been really, really fun! I’m enjoying it a whole lot. I’m really glad that I’m still able to meet so many amazing people and so many radio stations even though I can’t go anywhere. But it is still very surreal that it’s all happening and I’m just still in my music room! (laughs)

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Let’s talk about your debut EP, Real To Me. Was there an overall sound and message you wanted to achieve with this five-track collection?

Well, I have tons of musical influences. I grew up listening to Christian music because the first place I grew up singing was in church. 80’s and 90’s country, classic rock and motown are some of my favorite kinds of music till this day. As I got older, I got into more of the R&B and pop stuff when I started listening to whatever was on the radio and really digging in to people like Maren Morris, Tori Kelly and John Mayer, and just getting all of that. It was just this thing where when I was writing songs, I went in and just, whatever that song was that day, whether it was really pop, I went in and wrote a really pop song. Whether it was really country like “It’s ‘Cause I Am” and “Change My Mind,” I went in and wrote a really country song. So it was really a mix of all my different influences. And I think we did a really good job of balancing all that in this debut. 

What has it been like to release new music without being able to play them for a live audience?

It’s been hard! Because when I was writing “Change My Mind,” “Real To Me” and “Don’t Need It Anymore” and all the songs that are on this collection, I wrote them about two years ago and got to play them live. That was my way of testing out what people like and what they don’t. So I knew from the beginning that these five songs were the ones I wanted to go out with. It’s been really odd just trying to write and be as creative as I can and come up with new ideas. 

You teamed up with famed Nashville producer Nathan Chapman for this EP. What was it like working with him?

Nathan is incredible, I think he’s a genius. The word I’d use is “magical,” because I didn’t have to say a whole lot to him. I gave him the demos that I had for the songs the day I wrote them and I just said, “OK, I want this song to be a bit more bass heavy” or “I want this to be a bit more piano heavy,” whatever it was. I probably didn’t have to say anything, and he just ran with it and sent it back. With COVID and everything, we didn’t have the typical recording day, if you will. He had all the musicians send in their parts from the house, mixed it, and then sent it to me. So I could be hearing it as if I was hearing them lay it down live. It was the craziest thing. He said, “Something like this?”—and it was perfect every single time. It was so much fun! 

Talk about the title track (“Real To Me”) and the story behind that song.

“Real To Me” is my favorite track off the EP. It was my second co-write ever in Nashville and I was 15 years old. I just went in with Laura Veltz and Casey Brown, who are two very big songwriters in Nashville and just incredible people. I didn’t know what I was doing or what the concept of a co-write was. Before that, I had only written a song with just me or me and my Mom. So I went in [thinking], “OK, I’m just gonna be honest and open up about how I’m feeling. Maybe something might happen, I don’t know.” So, they asked me how I was doing, what was up, and I started telling them that I wasn’t being taken seriously. It was such a hard time in my life, and it still is, being a young teenager and having people tell you that whatever you’re going through or feeling isn’t real yet. I thought that was the craziest thing because, no matter how old or young you are, if you’re feeling something, then it’s real. And so I just started ranting and telling Laura how I was feeling and we ended up with this poem. It was “Real To Me” with all the verses and choruses, and then we added the production and started singing to lay down the vocals. It was so much fun. I knew that that was the title [of the EP] from day one. 

What was it like hearing “Real To Me” play live on Sirius XM’s The Highway recently?

It was the craziest thing that happened so fast! I was on the way to Scott [Borchetta]’s house, and he texted me and was like, “Listen to The Highway right now!” And when Scott said that, I was trying to get to it as fast as I could. As soon as I turned it on, Storme [Warren] was talking about me and introducing me. It was the craziest thing. I didn’t know what to do. I was so overwhelmed. I didn’t have any time to prepare for that or anything, it was like, “Oh my gosh!” (laughs)

We heard your debut country radio single, “It’s Cause I Am,” was inspired by a real-life situation?

I was in Nashville and in a Starbucks, on my way to a writing session. It was so hot outside that day that I had to bring my guitar in with me. It was brand new, so I didn’t wanna leave it in the car. So, I was lugging this big ole guitar [into Starbucks] with my drink in one hand and while trying to get out the door, and before I was about to leave, this guy saw me and was like, “Pfft, good luck.” Just like that. He saw that I was a young girl in Nashville with a guitar and was just like, “Whatever.” I turned around and said, “Thank you very much,” and then walked back out and wrote that song just to anybody who made me feel small or less than I was. It was my way of putting them back in their place a little and boosting my confidence. It was just a really fun way of letting out whatever emotions that came with that. Each song on this collection has its own personality in a way, and this is definitely the sassy, sarcastic side of me. 

What is one thing you want fans to know about you both as a person and an artist?

The biggest goal of mine is for people to realize that I’m opening my heart and trying to write something that truly happened to me and something that I’m truly feeling, even now. I just hope that there’s at least one song on this collection that somebody can relate to and grab on to and say, “Hey, I feel that way too.” Especially with “Real To Me,” I feel like the biggest goal of mine was to write songs that, no matter what your age is, young or old, you can hear those lyrics and relate to it. That’s the biggest goal of mine. And if someone does then, mission accomplished.