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august 2012 focusplantcity.com48

foCUS Magazine Plant City august 2012 49

Plant City music lovers should be aware, if they’re not already, of the Clemons Road band and their fast-growing fan base. This group of seven talented locals can lay claim to the fact that their first demo CD, which is entitled “From Florida with Love,” was produced locally by a Grammy-Award winning songwriter.

That songwriter would be Cliff Brown, the band’s founder. He earned the Grammy Award in 2007 for the song “No One Will Do” on Mary J. Blige’s album The Breakthrough.

AUGUST 2012 focusplantcity.com50

Focus: Hello, Cliff . Will you introduce the guys in the group to our readers?

Brown: Sure! I’m Cliff Brown and I started playing at 14, after I found a guitar in my dad’s closet. I was grounded a lot as a kid, so I spent that times trying to teach myself how to play and sing. I write all our songs and sing for the band as well. Josh High, our in-house manager, plays guitar and schedules the group’s performances. Eric Long, my best friend, plays bass guitar and does vocals, too. His heart and soul is music. Chris Williams, our drummer, has played drums for 18 years and 13 of those were with Josh in diff erent bands. Chris was also captain of the Plant City High School band’s drumline. Our fathers used to hang out together at What-a-Burger here in Plant City. Matt Richardson, our youngest member, plays guitars and sings. Gavin Baulac from Lakeland is our banjo player and Jason Baker from Ft. Meade plays fi ddle.

Focus: How did the band get its name?

Brown: All of us, in this and various other groups, have spent time practicing at houses on or near Clemons Road in Plant City. During high school Josh and Chris were part of a group called Southern Fusion and they practiced in a building at the corner of Clemons & Coronet roads.

Eric and I practiced nearby in a diff erent band. Chris’s parents, Billy and Laurel Williams, let us practice at their home in Coronet, which is where we made our music video. � at road is a part of all of our history and it means something to us - reminds us of our roots.

Focus: How did you get together and begin to organize for steady work with the band?

Brown: Several of us went to Plant City High School at the same time, so we’ve grown up together. After high school, I made my family nervous when I spent $17,000 of college money in 20 minutes on band equipment (and I shopped local, of course). I worked under contract for Warner Bros. and wrote and produced songs all over the country. When we decided to make a go of Clemons Road, I called all the best musicians in the area to ask if the were interested in joining a band. As we practiced and could see that our personalities meshed, I e-mailed every-one in the group, explaining the expectations we had and asked them to bow out if playing would only be a pastime. We wanted a serious commitment to every member of the group, to practices, shows, and to building the fan base together. We are all focused on this work and ultimately want to earn our livings making music. � is is not a hobby; it’s what we want to do for the rest of our lives.

Focus: What were some of your early musical infl uences?

Brown: Listening to the music our parents loved, for sure. � en we began to discover our own favorites and preferences. Josh and I love listening to chicken pickin’ guitar players, so Vince Gill and Brent Mason have infl uenced us as well. Growing up in Florida, we’ve been surrounded by water and beach sounds and tropical beats So, naturally, we like Bob Marley and Jimmy Buff et. � e Eagles, Alabama, the Zack Brown Band, Sublime, Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson have also been infl uences in our blended style.

High: I was always around instruments and music as a kid. My uncle owned a vintage guitar shop in Orlando, so I learned a lot about guitars and playing during that time.

Long: My dad has had a band since the ‘80s, the Jealous Guys. � ey were originally known as Running Hard. � ey played southern rock and blues. I’ve played with Cliff 15 years.

Richardson: My brother bought a Metallica “Reload” album and I played it front and back every morning. My parents gave me a guitar, amp and radio for Christmas and said, “Teach yourself to play,” so I did.

Williams: Josh and I have played in diff erent bands for 13 years and I was in his wedding. Matt is my brother-in-law’s brother.

Focus: So, were you totally confi dent performers during your high school years?

Brown: No, but we enjoyed music so much it didn’t mat-ter. We just kept doing what we love.

Focus: Cliff , do the songs you write revolve around certain themes?

Brown: Not necessarily. I can sing about anything. We try to tap into diff erent perspectives on life. For example, the song ‘Hey Bartender’ is about a man who’s depressed over lost love. By the song’s end, he’s talking to ‘Hey � ere, Preacher’ hoping faith will help him through.

‘� e World’s Gone Crazy’ involves the perspective of life’s

Clemons Road recorded the seven songs on “From Florida with Love” in a small room in Brown’s home studio in Plant City.

Brown and Josh High, friends since high school, are “the heart of the band,” ac-cording to the other fi ve members. This friendship is evident during shows and interviews as the two respond easily, passing the baton back and forth to fi ll in the blanks when questioned about the hows, whats, and what fors for Clemons Road.

Enjoy reading their responses and learn a little more about this group before they bec0me famous. They would appreciate your continued support. As you follow the band’s music and attend their shows, one day you’ll be saying, “I’ve known those fellows since before Clemons Road became a household name and now look at ‘em.”

FOCUS MAGAZINE PLANT CITY AUGUST 2012 51

purpose. We can work hard, use our talents and pay the price, but ultimately, it boils down to a dependence on God and trusting in what He has planned for us.

Focus: Do you think the group is headed to Nashville?

Brown: Eric and I used to live in Nashville together. We think at some point we may have to go back, but we want to bring Nashville here. We have the tools and talents to do it right here. We’re all happy to be living in Florida.

Focus: Can you describe the thrill of being onstage and doing what you love?

Long: It’s a huge adrenalin rush.

Brown: We respond to the crowd and feel their energy, which fuels us.

Williams: We want to put on a show and we like to see them dance.

Focus: How about your fans?

Brown: Our fans are nuts in a good way and they go to great lengths to promote our music. Radio station 97 Country 103.5 received more than 500 requests for one of our songs. When we played our fi rst show (at O’Briens in Plant City), the fi re marshal was called because so many fans showed up, it was over the occupancy limit! People were parking at the gas station across the street. It was nuts!

Long: We love our fans and try to think of them as friends and family. � ey’re known as the Clemons Road Army. Playing at the stadium for the City’s Fourth of July celebration was great. We want people to come out and have a good time with us and enjoy each other.

High: Honestly, our fans are the biggest thing we have going for us at the moment. It sounds cliché, but we wouldn’t be able to have 1,200 Facebook fans and almost 10,000 YouTube views if it weren’t for their loyalty. � ey have elevated us and they motivate us. People ask us all the time, “How do you keep getting new fans every day?” We are so appreciative of their support.

Williams: � e fans purchased tickets and came out in a big way when we produced our fi rst music video at my dad’s property. � at helped us with the funds to make our demo CD and pay Jesse Starr of www.jessestarr.com and Wrap It Up Tampa for the cover art. Fans love it.

Focus: What advice can you off er other young musicians who are following your career?

Brown: Practice your music and persevere. Don’t give up. Nobody will ‘give’ you anything. You have to go after it and work hard. Get a job, make money and invest in your band. You will need CDs to sell, so the fans get something in their hands to remember you by and share.

Focus: Speaking of jobs, you are each employed in a fi eld other than music, right? Brown: I’m a Deputy Sherriff for Hillsborough County and work nights at the Faulkenberg Jail. I just want to make sure to thank the Sheriff ’s Department. � e sup-port and encouragement they have give me to reach my dreams is incredible. All my supervisors believe in me and it’s amazing to work for an agency like that.

High: I’m a bank analyst with a large national bank.

Long: I own U.S. Body Source in Lakeland. We build more than 3,000 after-market parts for racecars and sell them on more than 50 websites.

Williams: I use my Doctor of Pharmacy degree (from University of Florida) to work with Sweetbay Supermar-kets and Manatee Your Choice Health Plan.

Focus: What do you enjoy most about the business aspect of music?

Williams: Cliff & Josh are big on social media and work at strategic postings, too.

Brown: As for the business aspect, Josh is the heartbeat of the band.

High: I like knowing I’ve done something to make the band work. I don’t like loose ends. We just know how im-portant it is to have the support of fans. When they come

to our shows, tell their friends and purchase our CDs and T-shirts, we can invest that money into the group’s future eff orts, equipment needs and operating expenses.

Focus: Do your families support your career aspirations now?

Brown: My wife April endures coming home to a house full of guys and working late night on music. I know it has to be hard on her, but she knows this is important to me.

High: Yes, and the Williams and the Longs are total enablers. � ey’re so helpful. Sometimes when we’re prac-ticing or getting ready for a show, they’ll even cook dinner for us.

Focus: How can fans reach you and why should they?

High: � ey can message on our website (ClemonsRd.com) and at Facebook.com/clemonsroad. We enjoy the interaction and do our best to respond quickly. We like talking to fans after our shows, and of course, we sign autographs. We’re on YouTube, too, and appreciate all comments and feedback.

Focus: So what would you like your future to hold?

Williams: We’re excited to be opening for Dustin Lynch, whose current hit is ‘Cowboys and Angels,’ on August 24 at Boots and Buckles in Lakeland.

High: We’re working on our new CD. � e plan next year is to tour. We have some great marketing ideas and sponsorships would be a great help.

Brown: I want to do this full time by the end of next year. We hope to eventually buy a tour bus, have it wrapped and hit the road. It’s hard right now because we all work day jobs, too. But we believe it will happen and the fact that we can produce our own work is a huge advantage.

Focus: OK, Plant City. � ere you have it. Local guys who will be bigger than life before you know it. Do them a favor and “follow,” “like,” “comment,” and ATTEND when you can. It’s our job as a community to “Support our local musi-cians!”

Upcoming dates for Clemons Road performances:

8-24 @ 9pmBoots N Buckles - Lakeland

Opening for Dustin Lynch’s CD Release Party

9-15 @ 9pmCowboys Steakhouse & Saloon - Plant City

Clemons Road CD Release Party

8-31 @ TBABoots N Buckles - LakelandTexaco Country Music Showdown hosted by 97 Country

9-20 @ 9pmYbor Cigars and Spirits - Lakeland

See more pics onfacebook.com/clemonsroad