Creative Conversations 007: Clovr On Building Mackay As A Regional Music Hub

Meet Mackay based jack of all trades, Vaughan Kelly. From his prospering artist project, Clovr to operating his own label and running Hey Pablo, one of the hottest club nights in Mackay, he has been at the forefront of the musical revolution in the sunshine state’s region. We caught up with Vaughan to delve into everything going on in his world and the importance of regional music development.

Futuremag Music: Hey Clovr, how're you doing?

Clovr: Ecstatic! Not the best start to 2020 with Floods, Fires and this god awful virus but managing to find the pros living hour to hour.

Futuremag Music: You're an absolute jack of all trades when it comes to music, could you please provide some insight to what you do for those who aren't familiar with you?

Clovr: I am the Director of Good Form Records Label, proprietor of 'Hey Pablo' a boutique music festival and producer, writer, performer under the alias 'Clovr' and I do this in my home town of Mackay.

Futuremag Music: Let's start with Clovr, how'd the project come about and what has been your relationship with music been like over the years?

Clovr: It has been a rollercoaster ride as a musician over the last couple of years, the scene has been both kind and cruel. I kind of started like most producers do by messing around with sounds and writing weird electronic music/ bootlegs. Being in a small regional city I feel very distant from all the other musicians, opportunities were extremely scarce leaping at anything that popped up, doubt at every turn, It has been very difficult mentally and physically. The first taste I got in feeling like I could take music professionally was after releasing my first offical single with a brilliant Brisbane based singer/ songwriter currently named Hartley.

People responded really well on it which drove me into creating my next single 'Cold' with Gold Coast singer Amela. It took off, Triple J got a hold of it and I was asked to join a few festival bills that year. Also an amazing feeling having my hometown getting behind my sounds. It wasn't always high tide though, I hit a massive low after loosing my best friend to cancer, I was nearly crippled from writing music for a whole year and lost a lot of momentum. I suppose this is all character building right? The sun does come out again for anyone who may be in the same boat. I managed to get noticed by Groovin The Moo in 2019 to play a stage to what looked like a massive game of human Jenga overflowing a tent. So I'm really hoping 2020 can work in my favour.

Futuremag Music: What inspired you to launch and run Hey Pablo? Why are regional shows in places like Mackay important?

Clovr: Hey Pablo started as just an experiment, a way to bring like minded people together. For the music lovers in my community, an affordable way to see some of the most engaging musicians on the planet without the cash money of flying to a major city. It was also an opportunity to place some local up and coming talent on a podium and giving them a feel to play for crowds. Running under my Record Label, the first event was a Sell Out, showcasing the Bag Raiders on their international Horizon Album tour.

I am very passionate about music, I don't want to be bias but of course it is important. I hope that the effort that we go through inspires the next generation to be bold and think of alternate ways to bring music to the people.

Futuremag Music: What does the future hold for Clovr and Hey Pablo?

Clovr: The future seems uncertain sometimes, the music scene is demanding and ruthless so I try to stay adaptable as plans change often. My goal however is to finally release some of the singles I've had sitting on hard drives for the past 2 years and later finish and release a 12-15 track LP under Clovr, limited edition copy on cassette and vinyl followed by a tour.

With events I will be continuing to run them in Mackay but would like to see Good Form Records and Hey Pablo grow and expand across Australia, building its reputation for focusing on the love of music and arts. My close friend once told me "music makes moments" and I aim to only having good ones.