Clinton Charlton working hard after Parade release, guitar sponsorship.

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Craig Pinhey

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Clinton Charlton is lauded in local music circles. He's pretty easy to like, with unassuming, well-crafted songs, warm, friendly vocals, and membership in several local bands. Charlton is definitely a key beam in the support structure of an unofficial 'music collective.'

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Clinton Charlton brings a wide variety of musical experience to the table.

Charlton grew up in Grand Bay, went to St Malachy's, pursued an arts degree, but dropped out for a full-time job. He lives with his fiancé and daughter on the West Side. An active solo artist, he's also a member of Penny Blacks, collaborator with The Reckless Sweethearts and Edge On Spiral, and current touring band The Formers is stacked with Saint John scenesters. Clearly he plays well with others.

Keep in mind that he does all this while working a full time job at IBM.

Charlton celebrated his full-length Parade (available at Backstreet Records, I-tunes) with a release party May 28 at The Blue Olive. He's been playing occasional shows, including last week at Vintage Bistro in Hampton, and upcoming nights at the Kennedy Inn in St. Andrew's on November 6 and 7, plus a free performance November 20 at CFMH, 107.3 FM.

The buzz has been positive; maybe Charlton's time has come for the limelight. [here] caught up with Charlton to ask nosey questions, especially in light of a new sponsorship deal.

"It's with a company called Stonebridge Guitars from the Czech Republic," says Charlton. "They make top quality hand-made acoustic guitars and are gaining quite a reputation amongst acoustic guitar fans. I have a nice little collection of acoustic guitars, mostly vintage stuff, but have never owned a brand new one."

Charlton had been considering an Avalon but decided on Stonebridge after having a crack at Dan Downes's guitar.

"Dave Gunning and J.P. Cormier are the other two Maritime artists that they endorse, and they also have Montreal's Antoine DuFour on their roster."

Charlton has a nice touch on the guitar, but is humble about his skills.

"It's ironic that I got this," he claims, "considering literally everyone I play with is a better guitarist than me. But their philosophy at Stonebridge is that they are a small company looking to spread their name and they want to partner with artists looking to do the same."

Will he take his new "axe" out on the road with an extensive tour?

"It's really something I need to do more," admits Charlton. "I have made a few ventures around the Maritimes but not near as often as I should. It's hard though, you know. I have a full-time job and a family too. It's not so easy to just pick up and go for a week. But, with that said, I do realize that it's a necessity if you want to sell records and get your name out there."

Charlton's rootsy music can be sampled at myspace.com/clintoncharlton, but to "get it," go see a show. It also helps to know the songwriters he admires most.

"It changes as my tastes grow, really," offers Charlton. "Years ago I would never be able to appreciate the subtleness of a Nick Drake or Richard Thompson but I find myself drawn to their music in recent months. Paul Simon has been a constant for me for years and is one of the greatest ever in my opinion. Neil Finn is another songwriter who I have endless respect for, as well as Ron Sexsmith. Of course The Beatles are a given and I really love old country music and Motown as well, especially Smokey Robinson. For more recent artists I really like Josh Ritter, M. Ward, Mark Kozelak and Denison Witmer."

With that varied group of inspirations, Charlton's sound meanders a bit from record to record, tune to tune. The Carousels had a pop/rock feel, the Tracey Lavigne duets are folk (expect an album, eventually), but his EP These Stars We See and Parade genre hop. Braver Than Most smacks of the Everly Brothers, Nick Lowe, and Ron Sexsmith. A Bee In October is upbeat alt-country evoking Blue Rodeo. Angels of Canterbury Street is a gorgeous, atmospheric song revealing his love for Paul Simon.

"I don't think it's so much a change in direction as it is the result of being conscious of making a record," explains Charlton. "These Stars We See was really just a collection of demos that Jason Ogden (Penny Blacks, Hospital Grade) convinced me to release. It was an accidental album and consequently was not an accurate reflection of what I do musically. With Parade I knew that I was making an album from the get-go and was able to pick the songs that I thought had the best flow and complimented one another best. I knew I wanted Parade to reflect my love of the music made in the 60s and early 70s when radio was less focused on one genre, when you could hear Johnny Cash, Van Morrison and The Everly Brothers all without changing the dial."

Parade has a soft, pleasant feel; as if the musicians were in your living room, appropriate for a scene where house concerts are among the best gigs in town.

"I wanted the record to feel as live as possible and a lot of it is just the band live off the floor," Charlton confirms. "There are mistakes on there and that is okay. Music was never meant to be perfect, at least not the stuff that I love. Chris Fudge, who recorded the record, was really intent on capturing feel over performance. As much as he'd deny it, he produced a lot of it too."

The album's diversity also reflects the other musicians.

"I was fortunate to have Alex Keleher play drums on the record. Alex is a crazy good songwriter in his own rights and his drumming shows how musical he is. My old childhood friend Mike Cusack played bass and it was a thrill to have him in the studio. Adam Kierstead played a whole host of instruments and showed yet another side of his abilities by playing some amazing organ and electric piano. Adam has been a massive support and to make music with him is truly an honour. We had contributions from Chris Braydon on slide guitar on one track and Jessica Rhaye on harmony vocals (Til We've Both Said Goodbye)."

There has been talk about the fragility of the scene, with Sessions Café closing, and Akhord shutting its doors last month. Charlton is optimistic.

"I think we'll be just fine," he says. "It always goes in cycles and this is just a low cycle."

There have been highs. "The release for 'Parade' was one for sure," he remembers. "That night was amazing. To share the stage with my best friends and play to so many faces that I know and love was just incredible. Another would be the last show that I played with my old band, The Carousels. We put everything we had into that show and I think it paid off. Playing at The Imperial Theatre when The Carousels were still a brand new band was another gig that stands out for me too. I'd love to get back on that stage."

The Parade launch was successful, but was it profitable?

"I won't say that we made a huge bundle of cash but I was able to pay the band and the opening act and that was my biggest concern," he says. "I don't have a manager or agent, but I was assisted by Jeff Liberty to promote that show and he did a great job. I also need to acknowledge the assistance of Dan Culberson, who has been a massive support for me over the years. He did the layout for the record and made the posters for the show and wouldn't take a penny of compensation. It's really important to surround yourself with good people and I think I've done just that."

Short- and long-term plans?

"I want to do something different, I think. I want to make a 70s singer-songwriter record. I really love those great songwriter records from the 70s by guys like James Taylor or Jackson Browne.

"I want to keep making music. I don't see a time when I ever wouldn't want to. The immediate plan is to finish writing some of the new material I've started and then get it recorded and out as soon as possible. I'm also recording with Penny Blacks and we're hoping to have that record out in the late spring. I have plans to do some recording with Chris Fudge's project Edge On Spiral and I'll also be making a record with Billy Braydon in the near future.

"I don't really worry about 'making it big' or winning awards. I realized a long time ago that what we do as musicians is important. We're part of something and it's important. That is enough for me, the rest is gravy."

Good gravy, we'd say.