Carrie Clark grew up in Oregon, weaned on pretty standard fare. “Even now, all my dad will listen to is Willie Nelson, Elvis, and the Beach Boys,” she says. ABBA was a popular favorite on car trips. Some Crystal Gayle. Nothing out of the ordinary.
But then things got a bit more… unusual. Clark taught herself to play piano and guitar, and began writing songs. In high school, she sang in chorus and the occasional musical. After graduation, her diversification accelerated. “Since I moved to Seattle, I was in a reggae band, then a Belle & Sebastian—type pop band, and then jazz and big bands,” she recounts.
Seems So Civilized, the new album by Clark and her band, the Lonesome Lovers, bears the stamp of her active mind and homegrown aesthetic. Drawing on classic country, blues, jazz, and cabaret, she proves as refreshing yet tricky to pin down as Nellie McKay. Moody surf guitar and dreamy vocals cast a melancholy spell over “Long Black Coat,” but a few cuts later, as she spins the tale of the femme fatale “Josephine,” Clark is kicking up her heels while an accordion pumps away. Her seductive purr and playful piano ignite the flirtatious “Just for Tonight,” while “Sweet Betty Blue” is a rollicking barnstormer inspired by her grandmother.
Although this is Clark’s third full-length, Civilized… is her first recorded with her longtime bassist Danya Smith and guitarist Greg Fulton. “Our friendship, and how we play off of one another, provided a lot of inspiration for the songs that ended up on the record.”
According to the songwriter, her bandmates complement her idiosyncratic muse. “Both Danya and Greg are music-school kids. They help when I get stuck, because they have rules and structure to fall back on. A lot of times, I come up with things because I don’t have that. Every now and then I’ll bring them a new song, and they’ll just scratch their heads and go, ‘What is this?’ I’ll put stuff together that other people wouldn’t, just because I like how it sounds.”
To capture the mercurial sound of Carrie Clark and the Lonesome Lovers—who headline at the Sunset Tavern on Saturday, December 2—the band headed north, to record with Toronto producer Darryl Neudorf. “I really wanted to work with Darryl,” says Clark. “I love the work he’s done for Neko Case and the Sadies, the textures and moods that he creates. That was how I heard these songs, and thought they should be presented.” Fortunately, after Clark sent him some of her material, Neudorf felt equally excited about the project.
Next up, she hopes to tour the West Coast and Southwest. After that? Who knows. Heck, given her eclectic skill set, Clark could probably make a kick-ass metal record… if she wanted. “I might,” she concludes, laughing. “But I don’t think I have enough angst in me for that anymore. We’ll see. Chalk up a few more life experiences and you never know what might come out.” 
