Out of the Box: Julie Clark

Hometown Heroine. It’s been over five years since Julie Clark’s first album announced her as one of the unique new voices in the Hampton Roads music scene. That’s a long time, but her new album, Change Your Mind, sets a new high-water mark for local musicians, and may be the album that puts her on the national music map. With help from some of the most talented area sidemen, Clark has assembled a set of original songs with a rich, rootsy, acoustic appeal.  

Winner of numerous folk festival songwriting competitions, Clark writes from a highly relatable perspective, even when she’s singing autobiographical songs. "Growing Up" is both very personal and one of the best songs ever written about the dynamic of a big brother and his little sister.  She sings about herself in the third person on "If It Weren’t for That," a song about a childhood obesity problem. She adds to the canon of songs about "Superman," but her version explores what would happen if our most famous superhero died. Some powerful anthems for change like the title cut and "Courage of Our Convictions" benefit from her bright voice and the superb harmony vocals from Jess Willoughby and Resa Gibbs of M.S.G. respectively. Her optimistic outlook gets a full workout on "I’d Do ‘Em All (If I could)" with hoots and hollers and lyrics that create her very own bucket list.

The earthy instrumentation pits her acoustic guitar against lead work from Stephen Bennett, mandolin from Bill Gurley and some tasty keyboard fills by John Toomey. The simplicity of the arrangements and the crystalline production give the album a luminescence that lets the positive attitude of her lyrics shine through.  Clark has taken her time with this album and the change is infectious.