Introducing…Clare Dunn

Like many who choose to making music for a living, there was never any doubt in Clare Dunn’s mind that this is what she wanted to do.

“It’s all I cared about, dreamed about, and talked about,” Dunn tells CountryMusicIsLove. “Creating music was my dream, and I grew up performing and singing any chance I could around home.”

While she didn’t exactly grow up in very musical household – with the exception of her mother who sang harmonies in church and around the house – Dunn says she comes from a family with a great taste in music. Her family’s musical preferences allowed to her soak in a variety of genres and artists including, Alan Jackson and Chubby Checker to Bob Seger and Percy Sledge. On her own, Dunn began listening to everyone from Keith Urban to Whitney Houston, and even absorbed a little Hip-Hop through her local dance team.

“We had a competition team and a hip-hop team, which I was on,” she explains. “And so around middle school I became acutely aware of hip-hop and studied that genre through dance.”

Dunn was constantly surrounded by music. She spent countless hours working on her family’s farm and ranch in southeast Colorado where the only entertainment she had was the radio inside a pickup truck or the cab of a John Deere. She also soaked in music on her daily 45 mile drive to school.

After graduating in a class of just eight students, the next step was college, which Dunn saw as the perfect chance to put her music dreams into high gear. Luckily for her, she a had a very supportive family.

“When the time came for college, they knew that was my shot,” she says. “And they backed me up a million percent. I had to work my butt off, there has never been a way to get around that, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without their love and support.”

She spent some time attending college in Texas, but ended up moving to Nashville to go to Belmont University. She paid her way through school by driving a silage truck for harvest through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska during school breaks.

It was in college that she also learned to play the guitar, because before she moved to Music City, she would hear certain guitar riffs and tones that she wasn’t able to explain to other players. So she figured the best way to get those sounds out of her head was play them herself.

“If I wasn’t in class and learning how to write songs, then I was in my bedroom listening to records, trying to learn how to play. I’ve only been playing for about 6 or 7 years now,” she admits.

After she graduated from Belmont with honors, her dreams started to slowly become a reality when she signed her first publishing deal. With that, she dove headfirst into the creative process; everything from co-writing her first single “Get Out” with producer Ben West, to both playing guitars and singing background vocals on the track.

Over time, she developed relationships with some of Nashville and L.A.’s top songwriters including Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, Will Hoge, busbee, and many more. She also recently signed a global publishing deal with BMG/Chrysalis.

She’s also had the chance to play several festivals and open for acts such as fellow guitar slinger Keith Urban, country music’s current go-to party duo Florida Georgia Line, and Bocephus himself, Hank Williams, Jr. And she’s learned a lot about what goes on behind the scenes.

“I like watching how each act and its crew works together, and how they operate,” Dunn explains. “Each camp is different and there’s always something to learn from them!”

While she likes learning how they make the operation work, she also makes time to watch them perform, and country music’s favorite Aussie definitely left an impression.

“I love watching Keith Urban play,” she gushes. “He’s an entertainer in the truest sense of the word for me. I’ve seen him several times and his genuine love for what he does shines through every night. He’s amazing. I could go on for hours.”

Another highlight for her came late last year when she was invited to be part of the first annual Florida Georgia Line ‘This Is How We Cruise.’ The duo has been one of her biggest supporters during the past year, and had her open up several shows throughout. But she was more concerned about the whole seasickness part.

“I was just hoping I didn’t turn green when I was on stage!” she admits.

Her current single is “Cowboy Side of You,” and she says it’s all about what makes a great guy. She grew up a huge fan of John Wayne, and even though he was most known for being the “quintessential cowboy” it was what he stood for that she really loved about him.

“Honor, integrity, respect, grit, and of course the ability to sweep a girl off her feet,” she explains. “To me, when I think about my dream guy, or what I look for in dudes, it’s the “cowboyesque” quality that can’t be defined. Even if you’re from Brooklyn and have never seen a horse, you can still have it. It’s about a modern guy who drives an old muscle car, sweeps the girl off her feet, may look like a bad buy, but really is a great guy at heart.” What also draws her in is the attitude of when a guy knows what he wants, and goes for it.

One of Dunn’s favorite things about the song is how fans are connecting with it.“I love getting messages from girls when they’re like, ‘…this song reminds me of my boyfriend!’ or ‘Totally get it, love it!’ There’s no better feeling than that!!! Mission accomplished for me when I see that,” she says.

“Cowboy Side of You” is good representation of her sound, which she describes as being “rockin’, groovin’, and just full of heart.”

Dunn’s favorite records were the ones where you felt like whatever was being said was coming from a real place, and that’s how she wants her debut to sound.

“The record will be dimensional and real,” she says. “But also it’s so important to me to make music people can move to.”

All those hours of hard work are beginning to pay off; USA Today recently named her an artist to watch in 2015, and she just signed a record deal with Universal Music Group Nashville.

In a world where country radio is dominated by male singers with the exception of mainstays like Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, Clare Dunn is ready for her shot. Just like John Wayne had his gun, she has her own musical arsenal. Her guitar is tuned up, her voice is warmed up, and she will travel.

Fans can keep up with Clare Dunn on Facebook, Twitter, and on Instagram.