clay pigeon
clay pigeon is the new moniker and primary songwriting vehicle for Canadian musician James Clayton. His musical background spans a wide range of experiences, from cutting his teeth in the Berlin open mic scene and touring across Europe to relocating to Montreal on a whim, making an appearance on CTV’s The Launch, and working as a touring guitarist for Canadian artists including The Franklin Electric, Sasha Cay, Bells Larsen, and maxime.
In the summer of 2022, a mutual friend introduced James to recording engineer Howard Bilerman, leading to the creation of a record at the historic Hotel2Tango studio. With longtime collaborators Owen Saar and Rhys Climenhage and a collection of songs written during a bleak Montreal winter, the project’s debut LP, The Aching Taste of Blue, took shape. Released in 2024, the album has amassed over half a million streams and laid a strong foundation for the project’s growth. Since then, clay pigeon has continued to develop an organic live sound, drawing from folk, country, grunge, and pop influences.
Hometown: Montreal, QC, Canada
Booking: James - claypigeonmusic@gmail.com