K.C. Clifford

Artist Information

Biography

Official Showcase Artist, Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Conference 2009
Official Showcase Artist, Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference 2009
Tricentric Showcase Artist, Northeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference 2009
Woody Guthrie Award Winner, 2002, 2005, 2009
Personal story and music featured on NBC's 'The Biggest Loser' March 2009
Kerrville Folk Festival Mainstage Performer 2009
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist 2009
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival 2009
Kerrville New Folk Finalist 2006, 2007
Official Showcase Artist, North American Folk Alliance Conference 2007, 2009
Winner, Songwriting Association Song Contest 2006
14th Annual Billboard Song Contest 3-song top finalist
West Coast Songwriters Song Contest, 5th place overall, winner- pop category, honorable mention- country category
Mountain Stage New Song Contest Honorable Mention, 2006
International Songwriting Competition Semi-finalist, 2 songs 2006
Great American Song Contest, Top Finalist and Honor Award winner 2006

K.C. Clifford is a three-time Woody Guthrie Award-winning singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City known for her powerful voice, stage presence and courageous lyrical style. Orchid, her fourth independently produced album, is scheduled for release on March 2.

Music has always been a guiding force in K.C.’s life, and her talent and love of performing on stage revealed itself at an early age. She was two when she first sang in public and composed her first song at age seven. Early musical influences included artists such as Paul Simon, Carole King, The Beach Boys and the popular bluegrass band Mountain Smoke, founded by her father in the late 1960s.

A life-long battle with weight loss and depression began with her first diet when she was eight, following a family crisis. K.C. was bulimic, and lived with the disease for 12 years before being diagnosed and hospitalized during her junior year at Indiana University, where she was training for a career in opera.

After a lengthy recovery, she refocused her life, transferred to Belmont University in Nashville – a school she says she found serendipitously – and completed a degree in vocal performance. She found her voice in folk music during this time, and wrote and released her first full-length album: Times Like These (2000) to critical acclaim.

As K.C.’s career continued to bloom with the release of her second album, Teeth-marks on my Tongue (2004), health threatening food issues resurfaced, this time in the form of overeating. By 2007 she had become morbidly obese, tipping the scales at 278 lbs. With the help of friends and family, she began a fight for her life.

Her story was the focus of a special segment on the NBC reality television show, “The Biggest Loser” in March 2009. During the previous year she had lost more than 100 pounds, on her own, and wrote a powerful song about hunger for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma called “Raise Your Voice.” The experience has led to a series of performances at food banks across the country.

Overcoming personal demons has fueled a prolific 10-year career marked by a long list of awards and achievements, and a devoted fan base she treats more like extended family. K.C.’s family of fans financed Orchid by donating to her internet-based “Be My Record Label” campaign.

Those who have experienced one of K.C.’s live shows know this is where she shines brightest. Laying bare every bit of strength and insecurity, she sings the songs of her life with grace and ease – and a disarming smile – bringing audiences to laughter and tears often enough she has considered making handkerchiefs a permanent fixture at concerts.

“It is hard not to imagine every female singer currently promoted by Nashville begging to record them, but these are the kind of songs that are best brought forward by the person who wrote them… this songwriter’s lyrical approach is direct and personal, and her melodies are instantly memorable, never falling into pattern or formula. It certainly doesn't hurt that she has an extraordinary voice, but the songs themselves steal the show.” – George Lang, The Oklahoman.

Instrumentation

K.C. Clifford: Vocals, guitar, dulcimer, piano
David Broyles: Guitar

Discography

K.C.'s new album, Orchid, will be released on March 2nd, 2010.
Listen to K.C.'s recordings at www.kcclifford.com
Pockets Full of Hope, Live at The Blue Door (2008)
Teeth-marks on My Tongue (2004)
Times Like These (2000)
"Loved" #1 hit single from Apt Core 2, co-written and performed by Clifford with Will Hunt (2003)
"Draw Near Emmanuel" radio single from Hope of All the Earth, Christmas CD, co-written and performed by Clifford with Jami Smith (2005)

Official Website

http://www.kcclifford.com

Links

• Twitter
• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Broken Things
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• Songbird
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• Redman
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• Story Of Our Own
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• Blue Bonnets
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• Find My Way Home
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• Johnny Cash
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• Firecracker
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• Stained Glass
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• The Wish Song
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• Writer Of Love Songs
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• Just In Case
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Lyrics

• Find My Way Home
• Teeth-marks on My Tongue
• The Wish Song
• Stained Glass
• Try Easy
• Writer Of Love Songs
• Just In Case

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Oklahoma Gazette People's Choice: K.C. Clifford [+ Show ]
  

  Local country/folk-pop chanteuse KC Clifford?s latest CD, ?Teeth-marks On My Tongue,? was dedicated ...Local country/folk-pop chanteuse KC Clifford?s latest CD, ?Teeth-marks On My Tongue,? was dedicated to the memory of her grandmothers ? particularly fitting given the fact Clifford draws a lot of inspiration from her family.
  
  Indeed, the singer/songwriter (and favorite of you, the voting public) KC Clifford?s influences aren?t merely wide-ranging ? you could make the case that they?re practically genetic.
  
  ?My earliest influence was actually my dad,? Clifford said recently. ?He was a bluegrass musician in the Sixties and founded a group called Mountain Smoke. I?ve been a lover of music for a long time.?
  
  Clifford, who?s also inspired by the likes of Shawn Colvin, Paul Simon, Edie Brickell, Patty Griffin and more, released her excellent album, ?Teeth-marks On My Tongue,? in 2004. In online voting, Clifford won 15 percent of your carefully cast ballots ? securing a sizable margin over the next-closest performer.
  
  Aside from her April 30 show at Galileo?s, the rest of 2005 finds Clifford with plans to continue supporting her latest record and patiently await the outcome of, shall we say, some outside interests.
  
  ?I?d like to continue honing and exploring and learning as a songwriter,? Clifford said. ?Songwriting is a big part of my artistry.?
  

• K.C. Clifford Sings for Times Like These [+ Show ]
  

  "When you hear the songs on this singer-songwriter's CD, it is hard not to imagine every female sin... "When you hear the songs on this singer-songwriter's CD, it is hard not to imagine every female singer currently promoted by Nashville begging to record them... K.C.'s lyrical approach is direct and personal, and her melodies are instantly memorable, never falling into pattern or formula. It certainly doesn't hurt that she has an extraordinary voice, but the songs themselves steal the show. As one of her best songs attests, she is 'worth more than a glance.'"
  

• Blue Door Digest: KC Clifford Returns to Blue Door [+ Show ]
  

  "..her songs give hope when hope seems lost, give humor when the seriousness of life gets too heavy,..."..her songs give hope when hope seems lost, give humor when the seriousness of life gets too heavy, and give words to feelings many of us hold deep inside and can't seem to express. K.C. is from Oklahoma City, but she is far from just a local artist."

• K.C. Clifford: Teeth-marks on my Tongue [+ Show ]
  

  "'Teeth-marks on my Tongue' feels like home on every track. From the laid-back warmth of 'Find My Wa..."'Teeth-marks on my Tongue' feels like home on every track. From the laid-back warmth of 'Find My Way Home' to the Sheryl Crow-esque 'Falling for You,' Clifford's latest disc is a winner any way you look at it."

• K.C. CLIFFORD It's a Good Day When MTV Calls [+ Show ]
  

  When K.C. Clifford toured Australia in 2001 with that country's band Bluehouse, the trio of women mu...When K.C. Clifford toured Australia in 2001 with that country's band Bluehouse, the trio of women musicians told her she would absolutely never see a kangaroo. That didn't make sense to Clifford.
  
  "Aren't we driving around?" she asked them. "Won't we see animals? Isn't it native wildlife like a squirrel in America, or something?"
  
  They told her, "No, K.C., you won't see one. Except maybe a dead one on the roadside."
  
  Call it K.C.'s charm, or beginner's luck, but on their first day driving from Sydney to Canberra they spotted kangas, "totally alive," she said.
  
  "From then on, we scanned the horizons and saw a koala, whales and all these native animals. It was the joke of the trip. They were just dying- 'We never see our native wildlife and she comes to this country and they're everywhere.'"
  
  Clifford's optimism seems to fuel serendipity. The opera-trained vocalist is a "working" musician, so her day job is assistant manager at an upscale metro burger shack. Recently, between shifts, she got a call from her LA promotion company that MTV optioned two of her songs for undisclosed future use- "Writer of Love Songs" and "Elizabeth Thomas' World."
  
  "Of all my songs that's just wild to me," she said. "They're not like clear winners in terms of where I think MTV would say, 'I want that song!' I mean, 'Writer of Love Songs' is about my parents. How odd. But who knows? It's a good day when MTV calls."
  
  The OKC Edgemere resident's new pop CD, "Teeth-marks on My Tongue," showcases Clifford's expressive voice and songwriting talent. Her accolades include being one of 32 finalists in May among 800 aspirants at the international Kerrville (Texas) Folk Festival.
  
  The native-born Oklahoman previously honed her skills and performed in Nashville and Austin. She said people sometimes ask her why she returned to Oklahoma. (Her marriage to musician David Broyles of the band Dr. Pants had a lot to do with it.)
  
  "I laugh because more has happened for my career positively since I moved back to Oklahoma than ever happened in Nashville or Austin," she said.
  
  Listen to Clifford's latest on her website www.kcclifford.com, or check her out at the Blue Door on Aug. 19.
  

• K.C. Clifford, Singer/Songwriter [+ Show ]
  

  Sitting in a packed house for the K.C. Clifford concert at the Blue Door last Saturday, one thing be...Sitting in a packed house for the K.C. Clifford concert at the Blue Door last Saturday, one thing became abundantly clear: Not many of Clifford?s songs are happy songs. It is a fact that she readily admits. But, if K.C.?s songs tend to veer more towards the sad and lonely, her show is anything but.
  
  The Blue Door show Saturday was Clifford?s sixth time to take the stage at the renowned venue, and it is a telling sign that K.C. has come a long way from playing the local open-mike nights around Oklahoma City. It was at one of those open-mike nights that she met her husband of three-and-a-half years, David Broyles. Since then, Broyles has become more than just a husband to K.C.; he is a band member, a co-writer and sometimes even the inspiration to the songs she writes.
  
  Clifford has released two albums independently. In 2000, while living in Nashville, she wrote and recorded ?Times Like These.? The album is indicative of her surroundings at the time with a very bluegrass, early country feel to it. The mandolin and cello on ?Times? would leave very little indication of what would come next for K.C. when she released the very pop oriented ?Teeth-marks on My Tongue? in 2004.
  
  With a full band in tow, ?Teeth-marks? dealt with topics close to home for Clifford. Newfound love, self-identity exploration and loss were themes that ran throughout the record. ?I had to overcome these pre-conceived notions about what girls on album covers looked like,? said Clifford. ?I had to overcome what the industry accepts.?
  
  Background: K.C. comes from a musical family. Her father is a founding member of the bluegrass band Mountain Smoke. Mountain Smoke was country music star Vince Gill?s first band. K.C.?s mother and father are both from Oklahoma, as is she.
  
  Besides her family and husband, who has his own solo career and is part of the Oklahoma City band Dr. Pants, K.C. has listed Simon and Garfunkel and Patty Griffin as the musicians who have most influenced her career.
  
  Two years ago she had the opportunity to see Simon and Garfunkel live in Dallas on their most recent reunion tour. ?I would have to say that ?The Boxer? influenced me more than any other song, and when they played that song, I just wept,? said Clifford.
  
  Education: She attended Heritage Hall Schools all of her life and then went to study opera at Indiana University. Midway through her studies, though, K.C. switched schools and decided to study commercial music at Belmont University in Nashville.
  
  ?All I ever wanted to do was write songs,? K.C. stated. ?I wasn?t always sure what shape it was going to take. I had to break through all these barriers for myself, and when I moved to Nashville I did, and I was able to finish my degree in commercial music.?
  
  K.C.?s first show at the Blue Door opening for folk-pop artist Lucy Kaplansky helped introduce her to a loyal fan base that spans beyond Oklahoma. Following a 2001 tour of Australia with the Bluehouse, K.C. began selling albums on CDBaby.com.
  
  ?I tend to think of my fans as friends more than fans now,? Clifford said. ?I wouldn?t be where I am without their encouragement and support.?
  

Setlist

K.C. can play a large variety of set lengths, from 30 minute opener sets to a full length show of 2 sets and 2+ hours of original music. Her most common format is two sets of 45 minutes or one long 90 Minute set with an encore. Currently K.C. is touring as a 2 person acoustic act, but she is also available with a full band.

Basic Requirements

Calendar