Brandy Clark

Brandy Clark is one of the most respected singer-songwriters in music — within the country genre and beyond. In addition to working with stars like Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, Kacey Musgraves, and Miranda Lambert, Clark has been a prominent name in her own right since she released her debut studio album, 12 Stories, in 2013.

Clark’s work routinely garners critical acclaim. In 2015 she was nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys — just one in a slew of career nominations from the Recording Academy — and she added a Tony nomination to her belt this year for the acclaimed Broadway musical Shucked (she cowrote the music and lyrics alongside Shane McAnally).

“I feel like my job in that is to write about situations and feelings we all experience and set it to music,” Clark says of her calling.

Between Shucked and releasing a self-titled album produced by Out100 cover star Brandi Carlile, it’s been a standout year for Clark. The projects debuted within six weeks of each other, making her especially proud. “Both were real labors of love,” the lesbian artist attests. “Shucked was a 10-year road, and my album was a brave new step for me in working on it with Brandi Carlile.”

In terms of obstacles to her dreams, Clark has wrestled with self-doubt. However, she says, “I overcome it by just stepping forward even when I don’t know if there’s going to be solid ground to step on.”

This perseverance — Clark is also touring this fall — is part of the message she wants to send to the world about LGBTQ+ equality. “We can do anything,” she says. “We are not limited in what we can do based on stereotypes that have been put on us. That our lives and love matter.” @thebrandyclark