class act /n. 1. An example of outstanding quality or prestige.
2. A person or thing displaying impressive and stylish excellence.
The only way to possibly describe Cautious Clay and his music is encapsulated in those two words. And what a class act he is.
Clay’s music embodies what a whole generation is going through and the day to day emotions that we carry within us. The reason behind his pragmatic vision of the world is because not too long ago-before the Cautious Clay alter ego was created-Joshua Karpeh was experiencing the same trials and tribulations that most of us regularly go through. Just over a year ago, Clay was working as a leasing agent as he joined the rest of us laypeople in the daily grind to break bread. Clay, however, remained true to his passion and dream of making music. His resilience and talent didn’t take long to flourish as he self-composed and produced all of the sounds that fill our hearts with joy from his Brooklyn apartment.
Clay closed out 2018 by adding a NPR’s Tiny Desk performance on his belt in October and shortly after, he was a guest of legendary musician John Mayer in his “Current Mood” Instagram live show.
Fast forward to 2019 and Clay is already off to a blazing start. The man behind the “Cold War” single, which was released in late 2017, just recently hit the 20 million all-time stream milestone on Spotify. Following up a a sold-out show at Irvin Plaza in NYC, he delivered one of the most memorable performances I’ve seen at U street music hall. With his sold-out performance in D.C. Clay demonstrated why he is one of the most notorious newcomers-elevating his game by showing off skills at playing multiple instruments like the guitar, saxophone, flute, and ukulele.
What makes the ingenious music virtuoso such a treat to watch is surprisingly not only his musical skill and witty lyrics, but the intimacy and soul he brings to his performances. Clay wears his heart on his sleeve and performs his music while carrying his scars in full display. There is no doubt that the young musician is paving himself a road straight to becoming a cult classic and you can bet we’ll be there to witness it happen.