Interview: Claybourne Elder Celebrates IF THE STARS WERE MINE Album Debut at 54 Below

Claybourne Elder celebrates the release of his debut album, If the Stars Were Mine, with a series of album release concerts that bring his acclaimed live show to 54 Below. Known for evenings that critics have described as effortless, emotionally resonant, and laugh-out-loud funny, Elder blends masterful storytelling and his richly expressive voice. (You can preorder the album here). Elder just released the debut track of the album earlier today: listen to it here.

Read a conversation with Claybourne about the new album below.

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How does it feel to be releasing your debut album?

Releasing my debut album feels equal parts thrilling and deeply vulnerable. As an actor, you’re used to disappearing into other people’s stories, and this is very much my own—so there’s something a little scary about that, but mostly I just feel excited to finally share it. Since becoming a father, I have been thinking a lot more about the things we leave behind. It’s a big reason why I decided to make this album, thinking that my son will always have it and maybe even play it for his kids one day.

What was the process of putting the album together like?

I spent a lot of time thinking about storytelling—how each song connects, what emotional journey it creates and what I wanted to say with each song. Then I worked with my arrangers Rodney Bush and Bryan Perri to create versions of the songs that hopefully make people hear them in new ways. Like with Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” That song came out when I was little and I remember thinking that because I was gay, I might not ever fall in love and find a person to spend my life with. I had been taught that it was a lonely life. So to me, that song has a kind of longing and we tried to tell that story with the arrangement. Or with “On the Street Where You Live,” which I have always thought was a tiny bit stalker-y. He’s just hanging out on the street where she lives…so I went to Rodney and said, “Let’s do that song, but creepy.”

Does the track list for this album pretty closely mirror your live show If the Stars Were Mine, or did you make any departures?

I LOVE doing Encores! shows, this is my third one and it’s always a wild ride (this one more literally haha). You just have to make a choice and run with it and suddenly there are 2,000 people out there watching you. It’s really thrilling.

You just starred in Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe's Wild Party at Encores this month. How did preparing for that go?

After The Wild Party, I am getting ready for my album release concerts at 54 Below on April 3, 4 and 15th. There’s also a livestream of the concert on the 15th. People who I know who have seen the show say that it’s somewhere between a standup comedy show and my TED talk, haha. I kind of explore the nature of goodness and what it means to re-explore your belief system as an adult. That makes it sound far more serious than it is haha. I’m really proud of the show. I can’t wait to share it with people here in New York City.

Are there any other projects or upcoming shows you're working on that you'd like to tell us about?

After 54 Below, I’ll be at Carnegie Hall singing and filming a special for PBS and then still touring my concert around. Hopefully something will land me back on the NY stage again soon!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Just that I’m really grateful. Getting to make something like this—with people I respect and care about—and then share it with an audience is not something I take for granted. I hope the album feels personal in a way that also lets other people see themselves in it.

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Clay’s album is being released on Center Stage Records. You can pre-order/pre-save it here: https://orcd.co/ifthestarsweremin

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