Cautious Clay has come a long way from his Midwest roots as the rising R&B singer-songwriter has been building a fanbase for himself in cities across the world.
Joshua Karpeh, who goes by his stage name Cautious Clay, is an up-and-coming musician who charms listeners with the flute, saxophone and guitar in addition to his soulful voice. The Ohio-raised musician aims to give crowds a memorable experience at his live shows by putting on a performance that is unlike other artists, from his individual sound to a specific lighting design.
His work is steadily being brought into the mainstream as he continues to collaborate alongside the industry’s top names, like Taylor Swift and John Mayer. Clay’s song “Cold War” was sampled on Taylor Swift’s newest album “Lover.” He collaborated with John Mayer on two tracks and his song “Swim Home” was featured in the third season of the Netflix original series “13 Reasons Why.”
Clay has been busy touring through Europe and the United States supporting his latest release “Table of Context.” The 26-year-old has played upwards of 60 concerts this year, including a set at Boston Calling last May.
“Whether it’s good or bad, I want people to just be completely taken out of their regular daily grind,” said Clay.
During all of these shows, Clay has been teaching himself how to be comfortable being the frontman on stage. Although he is used to playing an array of instruments, stepping into the limelight to be the focus of the performance has been an adjustment.
“It definitely took a lot to become sort of an engaging figure on stage,” said Clay.
Over the past few years, Clay has been dropping original music and building a solid discography. He now has enough songs where he can play a mix of tracks for the crowd.
“There’s a lot of stuff we can play and not play, so I’m just going to try and switch it up,” said Clay.
Clay said he has noticed that different places prefer different songs, usually leaving him surprised by their favorite tracks. For example, although “Crowned” isn’t his top hit, he saw audiences in Copenhagen and London went wild when the played the tune.
“There’s certain songs that people really really love in certain areas of the world. There are certain songs where it’s not like they don’t work, but [the audience is] just not as excited about another song that someone else liked,” said Clay. “It’s definitely surprising to see that stuff whenever you travel.”
After loads of touring and recording, the artist is ready to return to Boston and play at the Paradise Rock Club this winter. He said this will be the largest crowd he’s ever performed at in the city, so he is excited to take on the downtown venue.
“It’s so crazy because I never really spent much time [in Boston},” he said. “It’s just so mind boggling that [I can] get like 900 people there for a show.”
Cautious Clay will perform at the Paradise Rock Club on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now.
