{"id":16935,"date":"2024-10-16T15:35:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T14:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/?p=16935"},"modified":"2024-10-16T15:35:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-16T14:35:32","slug":"musician-of-the-month-greg-clifford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2024\/10\/16\/musician-of-the-month-greg-clifford\/","title":{"rendered":"Musician of the Month: Greg Clifford"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was born in Dublin in 1987, and grew up 5 kilometres west of the city centre in a village called Inchicore. Since birth I\u2019ve been completely enveloped by music and creativity. My father, Dave Clifford, was involved in the counterculture performance art scene of the late 70s \/ early 80s in Ireland. Additionally, he played in the original line-up of Thee Amazing Colossal Men<\/a><\/span> and was the editor of Ireland\u2019s VOX music magazine<\/span><\/a> (1980-83). My mother, who in fact typed the VOX articles, is also innately artistic and adept in crafts such as tie-dyeing and jewellery.<\/span><\/p>\n

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David Clifford performance art, live at A Dark Space in the Project Arts Centre in 1979.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My brother and I were privileged enough to have parents that valued and prioritised creativity, curiosity, application and dedication. We grew up in an art rich household. The walls displayed, and still do, works of Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, abstract sculptures and my father\u2019s photography. This environment naturally piqued my interest in the alternative and the absurd.<\/p>\n

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The VOX music magazine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My grandmother once declared \u2018you\u2019ll ruin that boy\u2019! Maybe what she was really inferring was they would awaken me to the point of no return? Musically I was mesmerized by the sound of the 60s. The Beatles, The Doors, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Small Faces all gripped me. Witnessing Hendrix burning his guitar left me spellbound. There was no going back from that incandescent display. I was changed forever.<\/p>\n

My talent and proclivity for music was always fostered, never stifled. For this I am truly grateful. I began music tuition at the age of 7 and started guitar lessons at 9.<\/p>\n

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Greg Clifford aged 9.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ELEVATOR<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I later founded a 3-piece blues \/ indie rock band called ELAVATOR in 2006 (intentionally spelt incorrectly, something we later regretted). We disbanded in a most Spinal Tap-esque blaze of glory in 2012 \u2013 quite literally breaking up on stage, mid gig.<\/p>\n

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ELAVATOR<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ELAVATOR served as my musical apprenticeship; honing a writing style, exploring effects pedals, learning to navigate and control the live arena, while embracing the intricacies of collaborating with others. During this time I also studied music in university; graduating with a Bachelors of Music and Masters in Contemporary Classical Composition. I also toured nationwide and internationally with the Diversus Guitar Ensemble (a 20+ classical guitar group).<\/p>\n

After ELAVATOR I became something of a solo singer-songwriter, by circumstance rather than choice. This, however, was liberating and permitted me to embrace my musical eclecticism.<\/p>\n

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I released a number of albums, EPs and singles over the next 10 years. The standout offerings being the Quodlibet LP of 2017 and Lines of Desire LP (2022) which was accompanied by a 40-minute making of the album documentary (filmed by my father) and a 13,000 word book that reflects on the sources of inspiration, studio anecdotes and music theory.<\/p>\n

My Dad and I regularly create music videos and independent documentaries. Our current project is \u2018Outsider Artists: The Story of Paranoid Visions\u2019, which delves into the world of Ireland\u2019s longest serving punk band \u2013 Paranoid Visions (who formed in 1981). The film provides an insight into the conditions that spawned punk and the subcultures in Ireland. It\u2019s a DIY endeavour about a DIY underdog band made by bloody-minded DIY filmmakers.<\/p>\n