daniel clay's songs are filled with a dark, almost bleak, uncertainty against which his characters, and by extension all of us, struggle. that struggle is both spiritual and existential, though the difference between the two may be little more than a shade of degree. "the protestant, his points to prove, is pissing in the wind," clay sings in "the protestant." despite the futility of these actions and the doubt that implied failure introduces, or perhaps because of them, the protestant is someone who'll "fight and kick and scream" for his beliefs, in the face of anything or anyone who doesn't conform to them. in the second half of the song, clay switches to a wider, more encompassing perspective, using the first person plural, but the conclusions outline ground no less fragile than that on which the protestant stands. "now we've been here two thousand years, staring at the sun, and we know nothing more today than when we'd first begun." it's fine songwriting, that.

daniel clay - the protestant


daniel clay is a folk singer from atlanta, georgia, and his debut album, the protestant, is out now. (you can stream it on his website or buy it directly from him or download additional tracks on his myspace.) he's trying to line up shows along the east coast later this summer, so if you're someone who can help, contact him.