Swedish singer Clara Mae proves that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side
I think pretty much every girl can relate to the feeling of the perfect guy or relationship being well…boring?
Just like Carrie Bradshaw going back to Big every single time he hurts her, many of us are a little masochistic in our relationships – we need a little excitement, as crazy as it sounds.
So, even if the guy is totally perfect and could be the one, we leave because he’s boring and there’s none of that excitement we were dying for. We chase those exciting feelings, only to discover that it was actually pretty damn good with the boring, perfect guy.
Ya know, the classic ‘You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone,’ hooplah.
It sucks, but we’ve all been there!
Swedish singer, Clara Mae, just released a song along with hearthrob, Jake Miller, called “Better Me Better You.” The single describes this exact feeling in the most upbeat way possible. As much of a heartbreak song as “Better Me Better You,” is, you can’t help but feel good when listening to it.
With vocals resembling that of Ellie Goulding and the songwriting skills to match (which is significantly impressive considering English isn’t her first language), the blonde songstress is somebody everyone needs to keep their eye on.
Not to mention her writing collaboration credits with some of the biggest producers in the game, such as David Guetta and Tiesto. I recently chatted with Clara, and we discussed her musical journey, why collaborating with guys gives her a whole new perspective, and how she personally handles heartbreak.
You’ve got a pretty notable background in music! At what age did you start writing/performing?
I grew up in a musical family and started writing at a very young age. We had a studio at home, and I would always see my dad in the creative process. He wrote music as soon as he got an idea – he’d just leave the dinner table all the sudden and run out to the studio to record it before he forgot it.
That really inspired me and I started doing the same thing myself at the age of 10 – first writing in Swedish and then around the age of 14 I started writing in English. I studied jazz music for three years, which was great for improvising melodies, and then I moved to Stockholm and signed my first publishing deal. I had almost 7 writing sessions a week.
I was hooked on the feeling of creating and turning my thoughts into music.
READ ALSO: If you thought Caroline Vreeland was candid on Instagram, you should hear her new EP
You originally studied jazz vocals and piano in Sweden. What made you want to come into the American music scene?
The American music scene is, of course, the biggest in the world, and also the toughest. Sweden is a pretty small country so I never saw it being my only focus – I wanted to spread my music all over the world.
You’ve worked with some pretty big names like David Guetta and Tiesto, have either of them given you any advice for taking on the music industry? What was the biggest thing you learned working with them?
It’s always inspiring to work with such legends in the music industry – you try to suck it all in and learn as much as possible. They are amazing at what they do! I did learn that David Guetta was from France and not Germany, and we had a little awkward moment about that (laughs).
So you have a new single out with Jake Miller, “Better Me Better You,” what drew you into collaborating on this song?
I wrote “Better Me Better You,” in Norway with Cassandra Ströberg and a Norwegian artist called Mugisho. I instantly wanted to release this song. I related so much to the lyrics and it felt too personal to hear someone else sing it. It also felt like a perfect duet, so we started searching for a male voice.
I came across Jake’s artist page on Spotify while searching and immediately felt like he could be great collab for this one! He recorded his parts in Los Angeles and sent it back to us – I think he was perfect for it and really captured that vulnerable feeling we were going for. I think our voices blend together perfectly.
READ ALSO: We fulfilled our 8th grade dreams and played two truths and a lie with Nat from 3OH!3
The song is basically about taking all of the things you’ve learned from this relationship and bringing them into a new relationship to be better for that person. Is that a situation you’ve been in before?
The lyrics for me are about being in a safe relationship where everything is perfect, but you miss the drama and you want something to happen. You wonder if this is it, or if there is something better for you out there.
Sometimes you don’t know how good something is until you lose it, and that’s something I can really relate to. When you realize how good it actually was from the beginning and that you never should have ended it in the first place.
Does collaborating with other artists, particularly male artists, help you gain different perspectives into different experiences?
I think writing for male artists gives you a new perspective. You have to try to get into a guy’s brain and see his side of the story. It’s fun, because it’s a different angle and a different way to use metaphors and language.
How do you handle heartbreak? What’s your advice for getting through these kind of tough situations?
I don’t always handle it very well, but instead of paying a therapist, I just write songs about it. Hopefully those songs can help other people in the same situation.
If someone wasn’t familiar with you, what’s one song of yours that you’d want them to go listen to and why?
I would probably want them to listen to “I’m Not Her.” That song means so much to me, it’s so relatable. I love how it’s empowering to people that might be struggling with confidence and saying you’re perfect the way you are.
Describe your musical style in 3 words.
Pop, Relatable, Love.
What was the last clothing item you bought?
The last clothing item I bought was a loose black leather skirt that goes below my knees. It’s the perfect fall item – I’m going to wear it with a cropped tank, white shirt, and a cool jacket. Love layers on layers.
READ ALSO: Avonlea creates her music and lyrics by reaching into her pain
What’s the last photo you took on your phone?
The last photo I took was this morning, out walking my dog Bruce. He’s a very photogenic cutie.
Lastly, if you could collab with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I would have loved to collab with Prince! He was such an inspiration and a true legend. I love the way he wrote songs and his unique voice.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FOR “BETTER ME BETTER YOU” HERE.
