Singer/songwriter/guitarist Clay McClinton's musical sound is woven together with rawhide and hemp, barbwire and willow reed. It's that eclectic sound born in Texas where honky tonk, Delta blues and soulful rock meld seamlessly. Clay's debut CD, Out of the Blue, is a collection of self-penned songs that epitomize his personal blend of influences against a backdrop of stripped-down production where less is definitely more. Clay not only wrote or co-wrote the material, he also co-produced the CD not long after his career move to Nashville. The honky tonk of Heartache, horn-powered Left My Baby Blue and the Texas swing of Rambler somehow fit together like soulmates. Other cuts bear the distinct influence of Clay's blues-legend father, Delbert McClinton. Starting to Itch and When It Rains are co-writes with Delbert, but Clay's solo write, Far Too Long, displays his dad's influence as well. Being his father's son, it's not surprising that Clay's eclectic influences lean toward songwriters Willie Nelson, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, J. J. Cale, and John Hiatt. But his personal progression also includes bluegrass greats such as Doc Watson.