Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cautious Clay has signed to Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Music Group/Capitol (CMG) and Universal Music Group.
It’s Clay’s first signing to a label imprint, as he’s been independent since his debut EP, Resonance, released in 2018. He joins a roster that includes Meshell Ndegeocello, Gregory Porter, Norah Jones, and DOMi & JD BECK.
In celebration of his new record deal, Clay has shared his first offering, “Ohio.” The song title is fitting, as he is a Cleveland, Ohio, native.
“Ohio” is a psychedelic track incorporating a cross of new wave and soft rock that fans have enjoyed from Clay over the years. It represents who he is now and his steps to break through and get there.
Clay sings, “I took a stroll through the highlands / Took a chance on the mindless / Minding my own feet.”
“Ohio” is Clay’s lead single from his forthcoming Blue Note debut, set to release later this year. No additional details have been announced about the untitled full-length.
As mentioned above, Clay has been part of the indie circuit since the onset of his music career. He worked his way into acclaim, releasing two projects in 2018, one of which was Blood Type. The EP placed him on Rated R&B’s 25 Best R&B Albums of 2018 list.
The following year, Clay made Rated R&B’s Nine Artists to Watch in 2019 list, embarked on a world tour and issued his third project, Table of Context.
While touting Table of Context, Clay shared how it felt to gain notoriety as an unsigned artist.
“Man, it really feels like a blessing,” Clay told Rated R&B in a 2019 interview. “I definitely feel like a lot of the decisions that I have made have been super personal. I feel like I have always wanted to make art and do things the way that I wanted to make them and not compromise. So, I feel really fortunate and very lucky for sure.”
Clay released his debut album, Deadpan Love, in 2021. He expanded the album in 2022 before achieving his first gold single (“Cold War“) and shared another EP, Thin Ice on the Cake.
Around the same time, he contributed, alongside Kiana Ledé, to Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil compilation.
Fast forward to 2023. Clay will play several shows this spring and summer as he acclimates to Blue Note Records. His next concert dates are May 27 and May 28 at BottleRock Napa Valley in Napa, California and August Hall in San Francisco, California.
Listen to Cautious Clay’s new song “Ohio” and watch the official video below.
Cautious Clay 2023 Tour Dates
May 27 – Napa, CA @ BottleRock Napa Valley
May 28 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
Jul 6 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
Jul 8 – Des Moines, IA @ 80/35 Music Festival
Aug 6 – Newport, RI @ Newport Jazz Festival
Aug 19 – New York, NY @ SummerStage
Aug 20 – Quincy, MA @ In Between Days Festival
Aug 26 – – St. Louis, MO @ Evolution Festival
Oct 1 – Bridgeport, CT @ Sounds On Sound Festival
Get tickets at cautiousclay.com.