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Aug 02, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Britt Warner

Nashville-based folk singer/songwriter Scott Clay returned with his new fifth full-length LP, Let It All Lay Bare. Befitting its title, the record traces portraits with the hand of a gifted storyteller, ranging from Clay’s longing for a relationship with a stoic father to the story of the Nez Perce’s resistance against the U.S. Army. Amongst these stories, he weaves songs full of grand, naturalistic beauty and lush instrumental arrangements, inspired equally by his trips through the country’s national parks and by musical touchstones like The War on Drugs and Tom Petty.

The full album is out everywhere now, but accompanying the album’s release Clay is sharing a series of music videos he recorded during his trip through the national parks. Today, he’s back with a video for his track “Utah,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Utah” is at turns both expansive and melancholic, with steady drumming and winding guitar lines setting the stage for Clay’s longing vocal performance. Clay draws grandeur from sparse and sincere melodies instead of soaring arrangements, letting his vocals and lyricism convey the song’s deep nostalgia and bittersweet beauty. The track sees Clay reflecting on a love lost, with Utah serving as the place where the embers last burned bright. He confesses, “Deep inside the canyon / Our love can still be found / Buried by the river / Buried in the ground / It takes a little time to say / Everything you need to say / I hope these words find a way to you.”

The accompanying video was filmed in Arches National Park in Utah, mirroring the track’s poignant tone with an equally gorgeous locale. The expansive vistas offer a perfect contrast with the raw intimacy that runs within the track, letting Clay lay it all bare amongst the wondrous desert arches. Check out the song and video below, along with our accompanying Q&A with Clay. Let It All Lay Bare is out everywhere now.

What was the inspiration behind this song? What is it about? What was the writing process like for this song, both musically and lyrically?

The song “Utah” from my 2022 album “Let It All Lay Bare” is of particular personal significance to me. In the spring of 2015, my former wife and I took a trip to Canyonlands National Park in Utah and spent the week exploring the desert in a jeep. Soon after that trip, we got a divorce, and I think about that trip as one of the last special trips that we had together. I wrote the song over the course of about a year and then released it on my 2017 acoustic album, “Fool’s Journey.” It was a very cathartic process for me to write this song, and I wrote a fair amount of it outdoors, some of it while on hiking trails.

I remember, in particular, I had planned a hiking trip with my brother in the Goat Rocks Wilderness near Mount Rainier in Washington State. We had set a meetup point a few miles from the trailhead at a fork in the trail, and there was no cell reception in the area. I got to our meetup spot, and he was not there, so I instead did a solo hike and camped the night further up the trail with a stunning view of Mount Rainier. I wrote most of the song that day and night, and then ended up meeting up with my brother and his friends later the next day. It was such a special trip to really focus on my loss and sadness and spend time alone that night in the mountains. A truly healing moment!

The locations in the video are really stunning. Where did you film it? How did you choose the location? Who filmed this for you and who directed and edited the video?

This video was filmed in Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah. I was wrapping up video shooting for the “Let It All Lay Bare” music video, filmed in nearby Canyonlands National Park, and the videographer for that video, Britt Warner (who also directed and edited this video), and I decided to spend our last day shooting this footage, as we had some additional time and beautiful weather in Arches.

What do you think the video’s message is? Do you have a favorite moment from the video?

For this video, I tried to stick with the theme of the song, which is simplistic, stripped-down, and raw. I wanted to convey the story and message of the song, and allow focus to be on the lyrics, rather than overcomplicating the video with complex shots and quick cuts between edits. My favorite moment in this video is walking in front of Landscape Arch, which is an absolutely stunning panorama to witness in real life. It was beautiful to get into the park early enough to film before other visitors were at this location, and it gave us some great opportunities for shots.

You have filmed a lot of videos in national parks, which really makes them stand out. Do you plan to continue this tradition for future videos?

Thank you! I do have one last National Parks video set to release later this year, and then we will be moving on to shooting in a different style for a new album that is releasing in 2024.

You travel and tour a lot. What is your favorite place you’ve been so far?

I do travel quite a bit with my music, and I really enjoy performing at a venue named The Boatel along the Chena River in Fairbanks, Alaska. Later this month, I’ll be opening for an Alaskan band named Black Water Railroad at that venue, and I truly enjoy the outdoor stage there. When I’ve performed there in the summertime, there are two-to-three-hour-long “sunsets” that happen, due to the summer solstice. And when I’ve performed there in the winter, I’ve been able to witness some absolutely incredible aurora light shows in the night sky.