Cautious Clay, the moniker of Joshua Karpeh, is a name you’ll want to keep on your musical radar. This singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist takes his singular combination of R&B and soul to the next level. Incredibly smooth vocals, a slight electronic influence, honest lyrics and captivating instrumentals immediately capture your attention. If you like Post Malone, this is definitely an artist you’ll want to check out. The Set List had the opportunity to chat with the man behind the magic over email about his journey as a musician and his time in DC.
Cautious Clay. Photo by Dean Luis.
In the move from classically trained musician to writer and producer came Cautious Clay’s debut singles and his subsequent EP, Blood Type. While he mentions that making music and being creative has always been intuitive, his involvement in the music world has definitely changed. After playing various instruments throughout childhood, he attended George Washington University to study jazz saxophone.
Karpeh says the small neighborhood feel of the Park View community –nestled within a bustling city, the proximity to parks, and the creative community at GW, all fostered his further endeavors into songwriting. He then found the passionate music community on SoundCloud to be enthralling and not held back by the structure of music theory.
Exploring the tools and resources available to make his own music allowed Karpeh to express himself through vocal melodies and lyrics: this is how Cautious Clay was born.
The musician explains that the “exploration of references” and the ability to make something completely different, yet still familiar, is his favorite thing about making music. He hopes his music inspires people to find their own sense of identity, reminiscent of his EP title, Blood Type.
Fans can expect new music and even more shows throughout 2018. Keep up with him on his Facebook and Twitter, and don’t miss his show on May 5 at DC9 Nightclub. Tickets are available here.