We recently connected with Amber Claire and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amber , thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

As we all know, pursuing a career in the arts has never been easy, however it can also be very rewarding, as you get to do what you love. It is so important to always keep doing what you love, no matter what level you are at, because life is too short to throw away your dreams.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My singing career began when I was 6 years old when I first heard Madonna on the radio in Australia, to me, she was the epitome of everything feminine combined with an edgy and glamorous style. I remember I would dress up and perform as her with any chance I got, and I would put on concerts for family and friends. Then I branched out into performing in talent shows and local contests to gain confidence and experience, which was a truly fantastic time. Then, I would later be introduced to the music of Kylie Minogue, Whtiney Houston then Mariah Carey whom I also absolutely love. At around the age of 18, I started writing my own songs and working with local producers to gain recording experience, which was a whole new ball game, but very rewarding at the same time, being able to listen back to the music that I wrote. After many years of singing with bands, doing a little modeling, and acting here and there, I decided to pack my bags and leave for the US in 2001. I left with just a little bit of savings to my name and headed to the bright lights of LA. I was able to do some commercials, extra work and more singing, which also led to working with various bands. Although it wasn’t easy leaving my family and adjusting to life in a whole new country, everything fell into place after a while, and I started to feel happy with the choice I made. Over the last 4 years I have had some incredible opportunities through my music and the chance to work with some amazing musicians and producers on more songs. In 2012, I decided to put my own experiences and knowledge into helping other artists and started my own PR company called 27PR. I have helped many artists over the years, grow their careers and feel honored that I have been able to assist others in realizing their dreams as well.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe that life without arts and entertainment would be such a waste. No matter how you look at it, music, movies, dance, or whatever creative field you are in, brings people of all ethnicities together. Music to me is therapy. Whether I am singing a song or just listening to other artists, it always gives me the strength to carry on. I believe independent artists deserve to be heard and given the same chances as everybody else -and without having to compromise who they are. These days, it is sad that artists have to struggle so hard to be heard or given opportunities because they may not have the backing or financial needs to support themselves. I am happy that organizations through the Recording Academy like MusiCares offer great programs and assistance for artists, but it would be wonderful if there were more programs like this, especially in LA. There are so many incredibly talented artists out there who are underground and may choose to stay that way, but they should still be compensated fairly for their time just like any other mainstream artist. I would also love to see less of the pay to play stuff that is so common nowadays where artists can only perform at a venue if they sell a certain number of tickets or bring a certain number of people. To me, it is basically saying that your talent in itself, is not worth the risk, Of course, for certain venues it is a wonderful opportunity for artists to say they performed there or opened for a certain act, but at the end of the day, artists need to be paid their worth! It is not an easy job to be your own manager and having to front everything yourself for the recording time, shows and productions, so being rewarded fairly for your efforts, to me especially in this day and age, should not be negotiable. Being an artist is still a job!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think as people in general, most of us try to see the good in everyone and trust more than we should. Sometimes, however, it is very important to always protect yourself, and to not always trust everyone you meet. There are a lot of wonderful supportive people out there, but there will also be those who try to undercut you to get to where they want. It is very important to stay as grounded and aware as possible, especially in the entertainment industry. Always keep good people around you, even if you only end up with just a few close friends who will always believe in you and have your best interest. Some people in your life may surprise you and just end up being associates, but the real and genuine people always stand out and the not so genuine find a different place and category in your life and that’s ok. Everything is an experience to learn about people’s characters, which has always been fascinating to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.amberclaireofficial.com
• Instagram: @amberclaire1
• Facebook: @27PRofficial

Image Credits
Photo credit: Acero Photos. Caption: Amber Claire in the music video for her single “Don’t Stop Me Now” Second Photo: Amber Claire with Mariah Carey during her Las Vegas residency Photo credit: Live Nation