Liddy Clark on John Mayer, TikTok and Her Debut Album: 'I Just Want to Put Myself Out There'
Liddy Clark is writing what she knows.
In fact, the 24-year-old artist also writes about what other people know, too. Her song "We Both Know" was inspired by two of her very real friends, both of whom were crushing on the other, but neither one of whom wanted to be the first to make a move.
Their attraction was obvious to everyone but them, and Clark, ever the musician, couldn't help but seize the opportunity. Now, there's even an accompanying music video premiering March 17 alongside her album, Made Me.
"It's just such a fun, energetic sort of song that really lends itself to having a super fun, cute, flirty music video. Because the song doesn't take itself too seriously. It's about having a crush on somebody and feeling like it's sort of a life or death situation where it's like, 'Oh my gosh, if they don't say it back, I'm literally going to die.'"
Maya Asker Liddy Clark
In the video produced by Driver's Ed Productions, Clark can be seen embracing the intensity of a crush as she spoofs the classic boombox scene from 1989's Say Anything film and even fakes a "medical emergency" in an attempt to get her crush to notice her.
"We wanted to highlight the extreme hilarity of [those feelings]," she explains.
And, while her two friends do know the song is about them, what about everyone else in Liddy's life? One of the tracks on the album, for instance, is called "sorry mom & dad."
"If you're in my life, there is a 99% chance I have written about you in some way or form, just because I take inspiration from little bits of people," Clark explains. "Sometimes, somebody will say something to me and I'm like, 'That could be a really interesting line in a song, or that could be a fun song title.' My notes on my phone are an absolute mess, honestly, and every day I'll write down something different that I hear and I'll come back to it later."
Beyond her friends and family, however, Clark also (naturally) admires other artists in the industry. One stands out for her in particular, and the advice he gave her when she was still a student continues to influence her music today.
"John Mayer came and spoke to us, and one of the lessons that he told us was finding the universality in the specificity," Clark recalls. "It's really that kind of concept where you have to be specific enough and true enough to yourself that it's authentic, and then that's how people find the universality."
She continues of the Grammy winner, "John Mayer is one of my all-time favorite songwriting guitar inspirations ever. He's just incredibly profound with his lyrics, and his musicality of course is incredible as well. He's one of my top artists that I always look to."
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One of Clark's songs on Made Me is titled "Potential," which she says is one of the songs she's most connected to right now — the vibe of which was influenced by Mayer.
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"It's a song that is very much inspired by early-2000s John Mayer — the Heavier Things album. And I wrote it as a little indie, rock-pop anthem for anyone who feels like you're nervous about that early-to-mid-20s, figuring your life out, what ifs, and it's just taking a second to breathe and feel okay and know that throughout life there are going to be times when you do not know what is happening."
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If given the opportunity to collaborate, John Mayer, Clark wants you to know she's available — but she'd also "give a kidney" to be able to write with JP Saxe.
"I think he's somebody that I would vibe with lyrically. He has such an interesting way about his writing and the rhythm of it, intertwined with the melody. And he's also very specific with his lyrics, but still super universal, too."
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For Clark, songwriting is a form of therapy; it helps her make sense of the world around her and allows her to keep her feelings in check.
"When I go through situations where I have a lot of emotions, where I'm really happy or nervous or anxious or upset or I'm angry, it's hard for my head to keep up with everything because I feel like there's a million different things flying around at once," she shares. "But writing these songs made everything slow down and made it make sense. And I hope it helps people make sense of what they're feeling as well."
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And, like every other Gen Z'er in existence, Clark knows her way around TikTok. With all the talk of feelings, John Mayer and now the double-edged sword that is content creation, Clark herself brings a universal appeal to her audience, even in her specific idiosyncrasies.
"Sometimes I go on to TikTok and I'm just so overwhelmed by the amount of talent that's on there," she confesses. "With the amount of content, my For You Page is mostly cat videos at this point!"
The influx of talented people on social media can be "cool," too, Clark admits, but "it's hard to figure out a way in order to brand yourself and stand out. That's honestly the challenge of TikTok and short-form content these days. It can be overwhelming, but it's also exciting trying to figure it out. It's like a puzzle," she reasons.
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In the end, Clark's latest and greatest puzzle is her first album, which she says she was planning on self-titling as many artists do with their debut — until she wrote one of the songs featured on the project in particular.
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"With the song 'Made Me,' I knew it was something special. That song really talks about getting to know somebody and changing as you grow in a relationship, and how that isn't necessarily a bad thing," she says. "And I think that especially throughout writing these songs, metaphorically speaking, they really have made me the person I am today."
