Brandy Clark

Biography

Brandy Lynn Clark (born October 9, 1975) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgraves. She debuted as an artist in her own right in 2013 with her album 12 Stories×12 Stories28 August 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pray to Jesus3:222Crazy Women3:373What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven3:344Get High3:315Hold My Hand3:366Stripes3:167In Some Corner3:388Take a Little Pill3:299Hungover3:5610Illegitimate Children3:2111The Day She Got Divorced3:2312Just Like Him3:31 and has released four additional studio albums. Clark is a sixteen-time Grammy Award nominee, including the 2015 Best New Artist award, and won the Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year as a co-writer on "Follow Your Arrow". In 2023, Clark and frequent collaborator Shane McAnally wrote the music and lyrics for the musical Shucked, earning a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Early life

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 biopic Sweet Dreams as one of her biggest early influences.
Clark began playing guitar at nine years old and sang in school musicals, also writing songs. She obtained a basketball scholarship at Central Washington University, but later moved back home, obtaining an associate degree from Centralia College in 1997. Still a teenager, she joined the music business program at Belmont University, and moved to Nashville in 1998.
At Belmont she took guitar lessons again and joined a band with her mother and a friend. She studied commercial music and was chosen to perform in the school's "Best of the Best Showcase". Upon graduation, Clark got 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 (her frequent collaborator) 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 Billboard Hot 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 (Little Big Town, Pistol Annies) and HLN's Nancy 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 (presented to the songwriters) for the 47th Annual CMA Awards broadcast, held in Nashville on November 6, 2013. She was also twice nominated for Song of the Year at the 4th Annual American Country Awards which were held in Las Vegas on December 10, 2013.

2013: 12 Stories

On October 22, 2013, Clark released her debut album 12 Stories×12 Stories28 August 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Pray to Jesus3:222Crazy Women3:373What'll Keep Me Out of Heaven3:344Get High3:315Hold My Hand3:366Stripes3:167In Some Corner3:388Take a Little Pill3:299Hungover3:5610Illegitimate Children3:2111The Day She Got Divorced3:2312Just Like Him3:31. Produced by Dave Brainard, it features Vince Gill on background vocals. It made its debut at No. 28 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart On January 6, 2014, Clark made her network CBS network TV debut on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the lead single "Stripes". In 2014, Clark opened for Jennifer Nettles on her "That Girl" tour.

2016–present: Big Day in a Small Town and Your Life Is a Record

On June 10, 2016, Clark released her second album Big Day in a Small Town×Big Day in a Small Town10 June 2016 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Soap Opera3:282Girl Next Door4:323Homecoming Queen3:074Broke3:395You Can Come Over3:536Love Can Go to Hell3:587Big Day in a Small Town3:438Three Kids No Husband3:159Daughter3:2010Drinkin' Smokin' Cheatin'2:5811Since You've Gone to Heaven4:32, which was produced by Jay Joyce. Lead single "Girl Next Door×Girl Next Door22 January 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Girl Next Door3:52" became her only chart entry to date, reaching No. 39 on Country Airplay.
Clark releasedYour Life Is a Record in 2020. Also produced by Joyce, the album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Album.
In 2023, Clark released a self-titled album, Brandy Clark. It was nominated for five Grammys, including Best Americana Album. Clark won the Grammy, her first, for Best Americana Performance for her song, "Dear Insecurity", featuring Brandi Carlile.

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." The New Yorker wrote about the album saying, "No One Is Writing Better Country Songs than Brandy Clark Is". Writing about her 2023 self-titled album, NPR described Clark's voice as "a powerful, agile instrument that she wields masterfully".

Personal life

Brandy Clark is openly a lesbian.
Clark was honored with Centralia College's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2025, recognizing her country music career and connection to the college.