Nashville-based country artist Katelyn Clampett knew from an early age that music was in her soul, having been discovered by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers at age two. Raised in North Carolina, Clampett attended Berklee College of Music and appeared on Season 9 of American Idol. Clampett has worked with and written songs for many well-known artists.
The multi-instrumentalist and producer recently penned and self-produced a new single marking her first release since 2020, “Hang Up and Hang Out,” which has been described as a high-energy, boot-stomping road trip song.
The single was recorded across three different locations. With the engineering help of Kyle Manner, the band was recorded at Station West in Nashville, while overdubs were recorded at Kate Malone’s house who also aided in the production and engineering. “Having the support of other female producers and engineers is so important to me,” Clampett admits. “Meanwhile, the vocals, keys, percussion, some overdub comps and FX were done by my lonesome in oversized athleisure-wear at my home studio in East Nashville.”
“During the pandemic, I had to make a conscious effort to step back from the frenzy of the social media world, put my cell phone away and get outside, where I can just be rooted in nature and the present moment,” shares Katelyn. “As an advocate for mental health, I think it’s incredibly important we ‘disconnect to reconnect’ sometimes. Writing ‘Hang Up and Hang Out’ was a reminder to myself and an encouragement to anyone else who just needs a break every now and then…to know that it’s ok to rest and recalibrate. Breaking away and going on camping adventures in my little airstream has been wildly grounding for me. This song offers what I’ve found to be a healthy, tactile solution to feeling stuck in a screen-obsessed society, and lets you rock out in the process.”
Clampett’s number one supporter from the outset has been her father and professional golfer, Bobby Clampett, so as a way to spend some time with him, she connected with him via FaceTime and taught him how to play “Hang Up and Hang Out.”
Clampett shares with us the backstory of “Hang Up and Hang Out,” the writing and recording process, and teaching her father the new song.
Tell us about the inspiration behind your recent single, “Hang Up and Hang Out.”
I wrote it in 2020, when the world was going down the toilet, and I was inundated with fear, negativity, comparisons, and agendas every time I looked at the internet, social media, news outlets, etc. — it was just too much. I had started to subconsciously numb out by sitting down and scrolling too much and just had a realization that I needed to self-correct the temptation to do that for my own health and sanity. The song came to me quickly because once I figured out a healthy solution, I became very passionate about protecting my mental health and encouraging/advocating for people to do the same. I definitely went off the social media grid for a while, which was wildly helpful for me, personally.
Is there a favorite lyric that speaks to you?
Probably “everybody needs a break…even the Lord had to take a day.” If God had to take a day of rest, I definitely need to be better about it myself! I feel like our society glorifies “busyness,” but allowing ourselves time to rest and recalibrate is so important. Thank you for joining me in this TED Talk/Brené Brown moment.
What was the songwriting and recording process?
We basically took the demo that I did in my home and added live instruments at Station West studios in Nashville. Then we did guitar overdubs at fellow female producer/engineer Kate Malone’s house. I handled all of the vocals, some FX, percussion, keys, comping, etc., over at my home studio. I have a massive magnolia tree outside my home studio doors, so there were loud birds in the tree trying to get in on the song!
What was your inspiration for teaching your dad to play your song?
Music is one of my favorite ways to connect with people and quite literally “hang up and hang out.” My dad is very supportive of my music and is always asking me what the chords are to my songs, so I finally was like, “alright let me show you in real-time,” even if it was just over FaceTime. He’s usually busy teaching other people how to play golf, so it was really heartwarming to see him be such a great student and so willing to learn something new (let alone catch on quickly to a new tuning, like drop D). We’re both busy people who like to work hard, so it’s nice to just take a break, sit down, goof around, and play some music to connect!
And now I see you also have another single, “Sorta Single,” to be released in July. Can we expect an album to follow?
You can definitely expect an EP. And yes, stay tuned for my next single, “Sorta Single!”