With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?

After living in Toronto for a while, I decided to move back to my hometown. I built a small studio set-up & I just started working at getting better at producing. This was when we all started hearing about the first few cases of Covid-19 but it wasn’t in Canada yet. I had a release on New Years Day & after that, it’s like everything began shifting pretty quickly & people started realizing that this could be a huge problem. A few months after that release was when everything came to a stop. I’m lucky that I had the opportunity to move from Toronto because I am immunocompromised from a liver transplant I had at 20 from an unknown illness & where I live now is pretty isolated from the rest of the world. It must be really hard navigating around a big city like that when you have health issues during a pandemic. It was scary too because I saw a lot of people not caring that it heavily affected the vulnerable population including the elderly. It brought out a lot of people's true colours.

How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?

There were a ton of negatives that the pandemic brought on but personally, my only plan was to just try to learn more about producing, mixing & mastering. The pandemic provided me with a lot of time to just work myself to the bone. After that release on New Year's Day, I found myself frustrated with my skill level & since we were in lockdown, I was ready to just spend all of my time writing, recording & learning. I often say that I still have a long way to go because I’m still not at the quality level that I strive for but since my illness is unknown, it's likely that it's slowly getting bad again & I might have to do another transplant later down the road. This is something that keeps me up at night so I just try to have this healthy balance of working as hard as I can but also taking time to rest & just do the things I want to do. I’m always scared that in a few months, I’ll be back in the hospital but It makes me want to keep working hard & sharing my new music because when I get that sick, it’s extremely hard to even think of making music.

What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?

I’m always working on my next projects. Some days I produce for practice but most of the time, I’m always trying to finish other projects. I have so much on the go right now that I’m excited to share but I go back & forth a lot. One moment I’ll really like what I’m doing & then the next I’ll just think it’s garbage. I think that’s the struggle of doing everything on my own but I like to think that over time, it’ll work itself out as long as I’m willing to work at it. To me, it's like doing a sculpture where you’re just chiselling away until you find something decent. When I’m not working, I’m practicing my instruments or writing but I also like my fair share of video games as well as movies/videos. I think that this is what kept my mental health in check. I’m always obsessing over my music so having something that shuts that off for a bit, helps tremendously.

How are dealing with the Covid fifth wave? Have things locked down again in your region? Have you had to cancel gigs, tours, etc.? Are things reopening & restrictions are lifting in your region? Have you booked any new gigs, tours, etc.? What are your plans for 2022?

When I first came onto the music scene in Thunder Bay, playing live was my primary focus. This was around the time I found out I was sick with that illness so I just wanted to throw myself into something that I always wanted to do. I spent countless hours playing live in Thunder Bay as well as Toronto but I don’t really see myself playing any shows in the near future. It depends on the circumstances but right now I’m just set on trying to build a solid catalogue of music. I also don’t work with anyone so re-creating the sound on stage by myself is impossible. Stripped back versions of the songs would be great but I know how fun it would be with a full band. I’m worried about the fourth wave, the cases in my town are on the rise & I just wish it would end. I’ll just be in my studio working on my future projects, hoping that everyone stays safe & hoping this will come to end eventually.

Favourite Starlite Room moment?

I’m new to the website but I’m looking forward to learning more about you guys as time goes on. Live music is such an important aspect for a lot of full-time musicians & without having this avenue, a lot aren’t able to continue making & releasing music. I’m grateful to live in a time with such great technology but nothing beats the in person beauty of live music. I really appreciate you guys giving artists a supportive platform & space.

Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?

My message would just be to try & stay positive through the next stages of the pandemic. I know it’s super hard in different ways for people so I don’t want to preach but I do know that positivity will help if you’re willing to work at it. Don’t ever hesitate to reach out as well & if there are things you want to do in life, try your best to make them happen. Having this dream of being a musician, saved me. It was never easy & it still isn't but success & admiration is all secondary, knowing that my music connected with at least one person, is more than enough to get a sense of fulfilment/purpose. Thank you for taking the time to read!

Collin Clowes

SoundCloud
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Website
Spotify
Twitter

If you would like to be our next ARTIST OF THE DAY please fill out this FORM & send a high resolution photo to:
JEN@CONCERTWORKS.CA

Artist of the Day | COLLIN CLOWES

ARTIST OF THE DAY

13.02.2022

COLLIN CLOWES