SONG PREMIERE: Clayton Chaney Reflects on the Preciousness of Time with Warm and Nostalgic Folk Lyricism on “Can’t Turn It Back”

For Clayton Chaney, songwriting is a spiritual practice of acknowledging darkness and allowing the light to shine through. His songs are saturated with themes of love, loss, faith, humility, and humor, creating an honest and approachable catalog. With nearly two decades of songwriting under his belt, the Arkansan-turned-Angeleno feels more connected than ever to his craft, offering some incredibly heartfelt, pensive, and witty songs grounded in real human experience. “I try to keep my songs simple and have them live in the overlap of specificity and universality,” says Chaney. “I’m realizing that songwriting is my method of saying what’s important to me in ways that I can’t do in regular conversation. It’s a chance to say things that would otherwise go unsaid.”

Chaney grew up in Texas and Arkansas in a musical family, singing harmonies with his older brother, and he had a father whose musical tastes were wide-ranging. At a young age, his uncle Bart gave him a mixtape that contained the sounds of Roger Miller, Buck Owens, and Elvis Presley. They taught him rhythm. Later, that same uncle showed him Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel. “I quit multiple alt-rock bands in my teens in the early 2000s because I liked Simon and Garfunkel too much,” recalls Chaney. “Listening to 60s and 70s folk artists showed me that a song doesn’t have to be highly produced and arranged. Songs can hit hard just with vocals and acoustic guitar.” He moved to Los Angeles at 18 to attend film school. After graduating, he struggled to find work in the entertainment industry and music took the front seat. “I’ve lived in LA for almost 20 years,” he says. “I’ve come to love it and call it home, but my mind and mouth still move at the pace of the South.”

By his mid-twenties, Chaney was honing his craft and found he had plenty to say. He founded The Show Ponies, a five-piece, indie-folk band where he acted as frontman and bass player. The band released four albums and toured around the United States, playing anything from tiny living rooms to rowdy bars to churches and music festivals – gaining a core following every step of the way.

His new album, Too Far (due out February 27th via Rock Ridge Music), has lyrics that are hard-hitting and humorous, and his voice is incredibly expansive and crisp. It sounds effortless. If you’ve seen Chaney live, his delivery ranges from light and witty to intense and at times explosive. He’s a true performer, and that comes through on the record. Fans of Dawes, Johnny Fritz, and John Moreland may find a new favorite artist with Chaney’s new offering. Too Far will be released on the Nashville-based label, Rock Ridge Music, where he joins a roster that boasts other SoCal-based labelmates, Moonsville Collective and Victoria Bailey. Fans and new listeners will be able to find him supporting the album with a number of tour dates.

Releasing Too Far is the exciting next chapter in Chaney’s musical journey. With the new record, he’s stoking the musical coals he’s been keeping warm the past few years and starting to build a fire. At the core, Clayton Chaney hopes the flames can cast a little brightness in a dark world and keep growing so he can continue to put out music.  

Today, Glide is offering an exclusive premiere of the standout track “Can’t Turn It Back” (PRE-SAVE). This warm and nostalgic work of folk encapsulates Chaney’s heartfelt lyricism as he touches on the age-old theme of aging against time that seems to only move faster. His lyrics and delivery bring to mind troubadours of the 1970s as the song radiates with that sunny glow, and the music is complemented by rich harmonies and poignant slide guitar. In this tune, Chaney channels a kind of timelessness that hits you with a comforting emotional embrace as the song progresses. If “Can’t Turn It Back” is any indication, we are in for a real treat with the rest of the songs on Too Far.

Listen to the tune and read our conversation with Clayton Chaney below…

What inspired you to write this song? What led you to write it?

For at least the past six years, I’ve been amazed and baffled at how much faster time feels at this point in life and history. It feels like it keeps speeding up. It seems like time gets more and more scarce the older I get. I originally wanted to write a song called “Time Moves Faster Now,” but the phrase felt forced. “Can’t Turn It Back” describes time’s speed, linear quality, and the power of nostalgia.

What is this song about to you? Why is it important to you and what about the song really speaks to you? Why did you choose it as a single?

The song is about how precious time is. It’s about realizing how looking backward too much doesn’t allow us to move forward as the world changes. The song is important to me because I wrote it as a reminder to myself not to get stuck in the past. It’s too easy to think that things would be better if they just returned to how they used to be. I chose “Can’t Turn It Back” as a single because it has pretty relatable themes. Also, I want to showcase it as a country song simply because it’s about a train. While a lot of country songs are nostalgic, this one warns against the damaging power of overly nostalgic thinking.

What was the studio session and recording process like for this song? Any great stories from the studio? What kind of vibe did you aim for on this song?

We recorded it mostly at BIG EGO Studios in Long Beach, CA. I think we recorded bass, drums, keys, and guitar all together at first. The track felt great in the studio. We were going for a Jackson Browne vibe. Originally, we had a screaming lap steel solo in the instrumental section that everyone thought sounded amazing while we were tracking. Weeks after the initial session, when I went to record vocals, the song just didn’t sit right. We ended up replacing the original acoustic guitar take with an open-tuned guitar. We swapped out the lap steel with a dobro – both played by Stephen Musselman – and the song just felt so much better. We did the follow-up sessions at William Caleb Parker’s home studio in Long Beach.

Are there any lyric lines that you really love or that really are important to you? What do you love about them?

I like the first line of the song enough that I decided to sing it as the last line of the song as well: “Sometime not too long ago, time was moving nice and slow. Supply was high, the price was low, and I took it all for granted.” It is interesting how the law of supply and demand applies to time. When I was a kid, I had a lot of time, and I was always eager to speed it up and get to the next thing. Now, approaching middle age, I don’t feel like I have much time, and I wish it passed as slowly as it felt when I was a kid. I’m proud of the line, because it implies that time gets more precious the older we get.

If listeners can take away one thing from having heard this song, what do you hope that is?

I hope that listeners can realize that spending too much time looking back prevents us from seeing what’s in front of us.

How does this song fit in among others on your album? How is it similar or different?

I feel like “Can’t Turn It Back” ties things together sonically. I think it’s a good blend of 1970s style folk and country. It’s a little uplifting, but also a little depressing. It’s prescriptive, but hopefully doesn’t hit the listener over the head with a message. It’s mid-tempo compared to the other tracks. And it is right in the middle of the album. Thematically, it is similar to the other tracks in that it’s just me singing about things you realize when you get older.

What is coming up next for you, Clayton?

My complete album will be out at the end of February. This is my first full-length album as a solo artist, and it has been slow cooking for a few years, so I’m pretty excited to have it out there. I’m hoping by the time this comes out, I’ll have a string of shows lined up promoting the album.