Clayton Sears

– guitarist / bassist

Clay Sears is an accomplished guitarist, producer, musician, programmer and engineer, having performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in the music industry. He brings a vast musical vocabulary, extensive studio experience and deep technical knowledge to each project making him a formidable force in both live and studio settings. Clay started playing at the age of 12, when, at his insistence, his parents bought him an electric guitar instead of the keyboard they had intended to purchase that day. Within three months he was proficient enough to give others lessons, and by the age of 15 was playing professionally on recordings.

A highly sought after session player, Clay has worked with some of contemporary music’s biggest names. His list of session work and live shows reads like a who’s who of music, in virtually every style. From his early days with Boyz II Men to his work with Rihanna, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Demi Lovato, Common, Lauryn Hill, Joe Jonas and Jill Scott, he has continued to expand his network of top artists. He toured for 3 years with Pharrell Willams and N.E.R.D., the internationally known artist and arguably the worlds most successful producer (Jay-Z, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani). With N.E.R.D. Clay played at LIVE EARTH in front of 600,00 people in Rio de Janiero and to more than one billion on TV.

In 2009, through the ‘studio grapevine’ Clay was recommended to work with James MacFarlane on his album ‘Sovereign Voice’ and the two have been collaborating ever since. “Jim is a kindred spirit in many ways…from the first meeting and session we did I felt an easy workflow between us. His lyrical and melodic ideas are very genuine and inspiring and really allow my musical ideas to flourish. I’m really looking forward to see what happens next.”

In 2010 Clay signed on to do pop diva Janet Jackson’s Number 1’s World Tour which spanned the globe over 14 months.

Today, Clay is the guitarist for Jay-Z, performing with the mega-star Jay-Z on his 2013 / 2014 Magna Carta Tour of Europe and North America. “I just love music of every type and I feel incredibly lucky to have made my way in the world this far by my wits and 6 strings.” Clay will be in the recording studio for the month of February, where he will be working with some up and coming artists on new recordings..