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Artist
mountain boy
12+ albums
New Zealandindiealt-folkcinematic
about
When New Zealand-based songwriter Aaron Clarke was planning his first release he committed to producing a track a week for an entire year – just to get the hang of it. The hugely ambitious 52-song endeavour – dubbed "Project Sinai" – took him on a testing journey of creative self-discovery which helped refine and realign his musical ideas and direction. The end result saw the Melbourne-born, Hamilton-raised 25-year-old hone four big-sounding pop-folk tracks influenced by film scores and the great outdoors and realise his new identity as Mountain Boy for his debut EP From the Dust. "The idea came from the mantra of "10,000 hours", in terms of mastering a profession and the way you get good at something is by doing it," Clarke explained. "I was at a point in my life where I was feeling really stagnant. I'd just finished a music degree and didn't feel like I had learned a whole lot. And I was teaching music but that job was exhausting me, especially creatively. "I decided that I needed something really big to devote myself to if I was going to learn how to be a proficient songwriter." After starting with just a handful of song ideas, Clarke found the steep learning trajectory a difficult climb. He often considered turning back, but a fear of letting himself and others down kept him honest, and as his work ethic improved he explored new musical territory. "Writing a song a week was manageable but also a challenge that would push me, he said. "I'd told all my friends and
