Brandy Clark was born in Morton, Washington, a logging town of 900 people in the shadow of Mount Rainier. As a child in the 1980s she was influenced by the country-pop and traditional country music artists she heard her parents and grandmother play, like Barbara Mandrell, Ronnie Milsap, Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn. Clark cites the Patsy Cline movie "Sweet Dreams" as one of her biggest early influences. She first picked up the guitar at nine years old and made her singing debut in school musicals. Her mother encouraged her to write songs. Brandy abandoned her music for a period in high school, instead devoting her energies to sports, eventually attending college on a basketball scholarship at Central Washington University. She later quit basketball and moved back home where she obtained an associate degree from a community college. As a teenager she discovered the music business program at Belmont University, so she enrolled and moved to Nashville in 1998. She got more serious about music when she entered college, taking guitar lessons again and joining a band with her mother and a friend. She studied commercial music and was chosen to perform in the school's prestigious "Best of the Best Showcase". Upon graduation, Clark landed a job with Leadership Music which led to her eventual publishing deal.
Music career
In 2011 "Mama's Broken Heart", written by Clark with Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves, appeared on Miranda Lambert's album Four the Record. It was released on January 14, 2013 as the fourth single reaching No. 2 on both the BillboardHot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. Clark's biggest success to date was as the co-writer along with McAnally and Trevor Rosen when she celebrated a No.1 song ASCAP Party at an industry gathering for The Band Perry's third No. 1 hit, "Better Dig Two". As a Music Row songwriter Clark writes songs that are mostly about the seedy underbelly of country folk. They are observational pieces based on flawed characters that tell the truth on the human condition. They contain dark humor, with a blend of wit and realism, while having the artistic license to make them fictional. In 2012 she opened shows for Grammy Award-winning artist Sheryl Crow. Brandy found an advocate in country artist Marty Stuart when on Saturday December 8, 2012 she joined him to make her Grand Ole Opry debut when she played his Grand Ole Opry Anniversary celebration and also at his Late Night Jam at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. At the beginning of 2013 Brandy was chosen by CMT as one of the "Women of Country", a year-long promotion featuring up and coming artists. In December 2012, Clark digitally released a self-titled three-track EP including songs "Pray to Jesus", "Stripes" and "Take a Little Pill". The song "Stripes" was released as a single and the official video made its CMT debut on July 4, 2013. It was directed by Becky Fluke and HLN'sNancy Grace plays a cameo role. As a co-writer of Miranda Lambert's "Mama's Broken Heart", on September 10, 2013 Brandy received a nomination in the Song of the Year category for the 47th Annual CMA Awards broadcast, held in Nashville on November 6, 2013. She is also twice nominated for Song of the Year at the 4th Annual American Country Awards which will be held in Las Vegas on December 10, 2013.
2016present: ''Big Day in a Small Town'' and ''Your Life Is a Record''
On June 10, 2016 Clark released her second albumBig Day in a Small Town, which was produced by Jay Joyce. Lead single "Girl Next Door" became her only chart entry to date, reaching No. 39 on Country Airplay. Clark announced a new album in 2020 titled Your Life Is a Record. Also produced by Joyce, the album is led off by the single "Who You Thought I Was".
Critical reception
Clark's song "Stripes" received favorable reviews from critics. Ben Foster of Country Universe praised the track: "As the first radio bid from an exceptionally talented singer-songwriter, "Stripes" does not disappoint. It's an ambitious, energetic debut single that makes the prospect of a full-length Brandy Clark album even more enticing." Foster rated the song an A. Music roots publication Engine 145 described her as "one of the most talented songwriters on Music Row, and she proves she is as talented a performer as she is a writer." 12 Stories received a 4.5-out-of-5 rating. Americana and Roots music blog Twang Nation placed 12 Stories at the top spot of its best of 2013 "Cream of the Crop". NPR music critic Ann Powers named the album her favorite of 2013. Powers noted that others share her sentiments, writing, "the top honor on many critics' lists is going to Clark, a storyteller of the highest caliber." The Los Angeles Times wrote that Clark's 2017 release Live from Los Angeles is "smart to the core." Your Life Is a Record has been described as "the best-sounding album that she’s released."
