We have known Claire Hudson for nearly three years now. At first as a singer of Boston based quartet Yet To Bloom (you can read our reviews here and here) and a writer of some of the best pop punk bangers of 2023. But as time went on, we realized that there is more to Claire than a leader of a rock band. And we think she understood that too because here she is with her debut single and a brand-new stage name: Clara Kay.
“On Purpose” can be described as the most beautiful three minutes and 44 seconds of 2025 as far as singer/songwriters are concerned. We will pen a separate review, because we have got a few paragraphs to say about the song itself. But before we did it, we thought that a proper interview was in order. So, we sent Claire enough detailed questions to form the first chapter of her biography. And since she duly provided great answers, we can offer visitors to this blog another excellent long read with an artist that one day will appear on the posters on your children’s walls. Believe us, it is good to invest in the future – even if to astonish your offspring with your music knowledge. You can thank us later, when your kids consider you cool.
You may roll your eyes at our bombastic claims, but we are not alone in recognizing the undeniable talent of Clara Kay. In less than a week and with absolutely no promotion, the single reached over 2000 streams on Spotify and gathered a handful of enthusiastic reviews. And she is just getting started.
On Purpose single cover – photo by Asher Thomas
World – please meet Claire Hudson aka Clara Kay.
You fronted bands, have a degree in music production and engineering and even was a vice president of Women and Non-Binary Producers` Collective. Is there something you haven’t tried? Please introduce yourself to readers of Indieterria.
Clara Kay: (laughs) Hi, my artist’s name is Clara Kay – but by the end of this article, you’ll probably know enough about me to just call me Claire. That’s what all my friends do.
Clara Kay is your stage name. You describe her as “a feeler, fiercely abrasive and truer to me than I ever could imagine”. Was it a conscious decision to create this persona, as if you wanted to give your solo project a fresh start?
Clara Kay: You’re completely right – I needed an artist alias for a fresh start. I played around with the idea of going by my real name, Claire Hudson, for a while but ultimately it just didn’t feel right. Weirdly enough, adopting an artist alias gave me way more creative audacity. When I say ballsy things in my songs or make bold production choices, I think to myself: “That’s Clara Kay talking, and I’m just gonna let her take the wheel”.
In a recent interview with Ramona Magazine, you painted a shocking picture of having your 21st birthday party but instead of celebrating you were being crushed by a full-blown existential crisis. That’s a horrible situation to think of, less alone to acknowledge it happened to a young, incredibly talented person. But this was also a moment that pushed you towards action. Do you feel like you have turned a corner? Are things better for you personally?
Clara Kay: Things are way better than they were, by a landslide. I decided that Clara Kay would be my life’s work that night and that was a year and a half ago. I hadn’t written any songs for this project at that point. For the entire 21st year of life, I was just trying to figure out who I was – as a musician and as a person. I feel very confident in saying that I have a much better understanding of who I am and what I’m here to do now. A lot of that was just through trial and error and a lot of support from my family and friends. I am the greater sum of everyone who has supported me so fiercely during such a chaotic and transitional time. The early 20s are a crazy time; I’ve definitely discovered that for myself.
You studied at Berklee College of Music under Pat Pattison – professor of songwriting and poetry. He advised you on early material. Tell us how do you remember his advice and what influence he had on the development of Clara Kay?
Clara Kay: I was a Music Production & Engineering and Songwriting dual major at Berklee. I almost decided not to major in Songwriting because I wasn’t sure if I could handle the intense workload. Thank goodness I took it on. I can confidently say that the advanced-level songwriting courses at Berklee changed my life.
Two classes that stand out to me now are my Advanced Lyric Writing 2 and Poetry 1 classes, taught by Pat Pattison. Advanced Lyric 2 was a selective class that only Pat taught – and he chose the class roster himself. Honestly, the most valuable part of that class was being surrounded by such gifted and hardworking songwriters. Every week, my peers showed up with some of the best songs I’d heard at the school, period. It was very humbling to be a part of that class. It was a pivotal class that laid the foundation for what my narrative voice as “Clara Kay” would end up sounding like.
Poetry 1 was great, too. Maybe my favorite Songwriting class at Berklee, and it’s not even technically in the major grid. Amy Allen took the class when she went to Berklee, and she’s one of my favorite songwriters. You wouldn’t think a Poetry class would directly translate to writing songs, but it does! It taught me that the English language is both rhythmic and melodic, which means that all words and phrases have innate rhythm and pitch. That’s an invaluable skill when you’re trying to craft a lyric that sounds natural.
At the university you were also accepted into the exclusive Billboard Hot 100 Class – an audition based class for best songwriters at Berklee, a true showcase of your abilities. The class is designed not only to coach future hit writers but also professional critics and journalists. It`s somehow shrouded in mystery (Berklee`s website requires a login) so are you able to give any details of what your duties included?
Clara Kay: That was a fun one! Every week, the class would get paired into groups to write for a pitch that was circulating in the industry. We’d meet up, write the song, and fully produce it to present the following week. Music industry guests sat in on the class a few times throughout the semester to listen to our songs and give us feedback. All the students were great. I met Makena Tate Shlens there, who I eventually co-wrote “On Purpose” with.
Clara Kay – photo by Asher Thomas
Your brand new single “On Purpose” has been co written with two artists that have been making their names on the Boston music scene in recent years: Preston Lydotes and Makena Tate Shlens. You always had this infallible intuition in choosing your collaborators to get the best out of a song. Tell us what Preston and Makena contributed to the track.
Clara Kay: Makena and I wrote “On Purpose” together in September of 2024. I had a good feeling walking into the session. I’m not sure why, but I just knew innately that we were going to make something amazing that day. We both write ruthlessly. If a line’s not working, it gets scrapped immediately. I’m not afraid to kill my darlings and I love when cowriters approach songwriting with the same energy. You get the best lines that way and from that “On Purpose” was born. We loved the idea of a Western-style shootout being the central idea of the song. It’s not often you hear a breakup song from that lens, so we leaned into it.
Preston co-produced the track with me. We composed the instrumental parts together: drums, bass, guitar and the piano. We’d never recorded something so in-depth before. We spent about 3 months producing the track together. “On Purpose” was the first song of mine to get the full production treatment, we experimented with tons of different arrangements to figure out what worked best. My favourite part of the song’s production arc is in the second chorus. When those drums come in, it’s off to the races. It’s addicting.
You said the following about the song: “I wrote On Purpose because I needed to hear someone say it — that heartbreak isn’t clean, and neither are we”. It is almost the very definition of a breakup song. Without prying or wanting to claw at healed wounds: what is the story behind your single?
Clara Kay: I spent a lot of my teenage years chasing the same type of person: someone who I could tell everything to and felt a deep connection towards, but for one reason or another (whether it be distance or something else), simply could not be with. This kind of person found me enough times that I started to wonder: “Why do I keep doing this again and again? Am I addicted to the feeling of juuuus almost having someone, only to watch it slip through my fingers at the last second?” That’s where the main inspiration for “On Purpose” came from.
Clara Kay is waiting for her break – photo by Asher Thomas
“On Purpose” is accompanied by a video created by Asher Thomas (videographer behind some of Slamwich reels for the uninitiated among our readers) that to us feels like a diary chronicling a doomed relationship of two people fighting co-dependency, violence and substance abuse. It is us vs the world turning quickly into me vs you with tragic consequences. Who came up with the idea for the video?
Clara Kay: “Us vs. The World” turning into “Me vs. You” is a perfect way to put it. That’s exactly what it is. I initially came up with the idea for the video. Asher was super enthusiastic about it and completely brought the vision to life. It’s a glimpse into a failing relationship, told through the lens of a Western shootout, with a plot twist at the end. We shot it in the freezing cold and snow and I had bruises on my knees and legs for days after pretending to fall and die on the frozen ground, but every bruise was worth it.
You recently moved to Nashville. How do you find local music scenes there? Any music venues or dive bars worth our attention? Or maybe you had a chance to see some of the country music superstars going about town?
Clara Kay: I haven’t moved to Nashville yet, but I’m moving there in the fall! When I was visiting Nashville, I went to a bunch of places: The Bowery Vault, Flamingo Lounge, The Basement, and The Pinnacle to name a few. I saw Jack White at The Pinnacle and it was killer. The other three venues are great for jams, songwriter rounds and local acts.
We know it is way too early for a tour, but do you have any local gigs scheduled? Where can people see you play live?
Clara Kay: For updates on gigs I’m playing, you can check my Spotify, or better yet, follow me on my Instagram: @cclarakayy. I’m hoping to do some local gigs in Boston this summer and lots of gigs in Nashville when I move there in the fall!
Last questions are always a bit of fun on Indieterria. In the past you freelanced as a composer for Robot Entertainment, so imagine you have been asked to soundtrack a high-profile video game. What tackles your fancy: a survival horror, a beat`em up or an RPG, anything goes really!
Clara Kay: Oh man! Video games were a huge part of my life growing up, so I’d love the chance to do a full soundtrack for a video game in the future. I think I’d want it to be something with deep lore and emotionally complex, lived-in characters. That makes for more writing material – it’d be fun for me to step into those characters’ shoes. As for genre, I’m not picky. I don’t personally play horror games, but they’d probably be the most fun to compose for. Maybe a psychological thriller or an adventure game.
You can follow Clara Kay on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/cclarakayy
https://www.youtube.com/@cclarakayy
https://www.tiktok.com/@cclarakayy
https://soundcloud.com/claire-hudson-229070438
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4GocIu4l4QLpHUsds0jDiX
Additional reading:
https://www.rightchordmusic.co.uk/clara-kay-on-purpose
https://www.clickrollboom.co.uk/news/clara-kay-announces-debut-single-on-purpose-releasing-may-30th#google_vignette
Malicia Dabrowicz
Indieterria 