As a teenager in sleepy northern Minnesota, singer/guitarist Dedric Clark began working on a batch of songs with quirky but candid lyrics that captured the ins and outs of late-adolescence: girl trouble, small-town boredom, and what Clark calls “that feeling of being young but aware that you’re getting older and wondering if you should try to be more of an adult.” After rounding up a group of local musicians who shared his affinity for Americana and classic pop (guitarist/banjo player Tony Petersen, bassist Roger Whittet, and drummer Boyd Smith), Clark began fine-tuning his songs and putting them out into the world by way of basement-recorded demos and warmly shot videos of the band performing in an old renovated church. One of those videos caught the attention of Ben Fowler (a Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer known for his work with Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd), who invited Clark down to Nashville to talk about recording an album. Just a few months later, Clark returned to Nashville to team up with Fowler on what would become the magnetic full-length debut from Dedric Clark and the Social Animals.

With its lighthearted yet soulful take on Americana rock, Dedric Clark finds the now-23-year-old songwriter brightening up his ruggedly intimate songwriting with lush melodies and sunny harmonies. Recorded by Fowler at Oceanway Studios and Hillywood Studios in Nashville — and featuring such accomplished guest musicians as guitarists Bryan Sutton (Johnny Cash, Eric Church, Alison Krauss) and Tom Bukovac (Bob Seger, The Beach Boys, Garth Brooks) — the album is built on both tight musicianship and an earthy, sometimes irreverent honesty.

Clark first explored songwriting as a secret pastime during his later high school years in Cloquet, Minnesota. “Writing is something that came easier to me than anything else,” says Clark, who also learned to play guitar in his late teens. “I kept this notebook full of poems and lyrics in my bad handwriting, but the idea of sharing any of it was scary.” While studying English at the University of Minnesota Duluth, Clark pushed forward with his songwriting and eventually started playing live. By junior year he had assembled a band — originally named Diet Folk — and amassed a considerable following, thanks partly to the group’s high-energy live shows. Once Dedric Clark and the Social Animals gained Fowler’s interest and began planning their debut album, all four members devoted themselves to the band full-time.

To further sharpen their focus on making music, Dedric Clark and the Social Animals relocated to Portland, Oregon. “The main reason we moved was to free ourselves from the distractions of home, even if some of them are good distractions,” Clark says. “We wanted to be in a place where we only concentrate on the band, and we can play constantly.” Despite that intensified sense of purpose, Dedric Clark and the Social Animals remain committed to a certain free and easy spirit, especially when it comes to their live performances. “We keep it fun for the crowd,” Clark says. “We want them to feel connected to what we’re singing about, but also to get up and move around if they’re feeling it. Playful with an edge of seriousness is what we aim for.”

– written by Tracey Pepper (www.traceypepper.com)