HOW TO GO
Who: Clint Black
Where: Clark State Performing Arts Center, 300 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 15
Cost: $20-$59
More info: (937) 328-3874 or www.pac.clarkstate.edu
Artist info: www.clintblack.com
It has been eight years since Clint Black released a new album, but don’t for second think he has retired. The country superstar is busier than ever.
Presenting an acoustic band concert at Clark State Performing Arts Center in Springfield on Wednesday, May 15, Black has expanded his resume to include actor and songwriter-for-hire for stage plays, animated programs and feature films. He recently answered some questions about his diverse career.
Q: How does the acoustic tour differ from your normal concerts?
A: “It’s intimate, but it’s not just acoustic guitars. We’re bringing my drummer and bass player. My lead guitar player and I are on acoustics. The four of us are the core of the band we put together in 1987, so we’ve all been playing together for almost 30 years and playing all this music. We’ve taken an acoustic approach to a lot of the material. There are some funny little setups to songs here and there so there’s some laughter in it.”
Q: What are you working on today?
A: “I’m just writing and arranging, doing some itchy-brain stuff. I’m recording next week. I’m writing a couple of songs for Hasbro and preparing my own stuff over here for the next record. I’m kind of bouncing around, but it’s fun. I’m in a creative spring right now.”
Q: When did you start work on your next studio album?
A: “I’ve been writing and recording for maybe five years. I’ve always had about three albums written every time I go in the studio, dating all the way back to the second album. I’ve exceeded that a little this time because I’ve gone a little longer between albums. Not only do I have a lot of songs written, I have a lot of them recorded because every time I get excited about something new, I go ahead and record everything else I have that’s new.”
Q: With all the excess material, why wait so long to release a new album?
A: “I’ve kind of been in limbo. I was just going through the process of finding a new record company. Now we’ve been with one for the last six months, and it’s looking like they’ll be the ones to put it out. Now, the pressure is on me, but I have quite an abundance of music, so I’m in pretty good shape. I’m going to be doing some special projects this year, too, so I’ll have places for all this music to go.”
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