You dont choose music, Jonathan Clay says.
We love making music, in any facet.
Since 2010, Clay and Zach Chance have fronted the Americana duoJamestown Revival.
The Broadway musical adaptation of ‘The Outsiders’ features songs by the Americana duo Jamestown Revival.Matthew Murphy*
Now, theyre coming to grips with being first-timeGrammy nominees but not for their work underJamestown Revival.
Instead, Clay and Chance are nominated for their score toThe Outsiders, the Broadway adaptation ofS.E.
Hintons novelabout the class and racial divisions in 1960s Tulsa.
At some point, youre just like, How lucky am I gonna get?
Its icing on the cake, Clay tellsRolling Stone.
Zach and I have been writing songs since we were 15.
A Grammy, to us, is the ultimate honor.
Clay and Chance are Austin residents but grew up together in Magnolia, Texas.
Theirs is a classic tale of lifelong friends who know each other as if they are family.
Still, the idea of pushing their artistic limits appealed to Clay.
I did not grow up going to theater, he says.
It wasnt part of my family tradition.
Zach and I were in choir together in high school, but that was the closest we got.
The biggest learning curve for Clay and Chance was watching what they composed go through an editing process.
Soon after they took on the project, Levine made a leap from musical director to co-writer and collaborator.
Clay says that Jamestown Revivals success withThe Outsidersechoes the surging popularity of roots music, namely Americana.
Americana has reached a level of popularity that I dont think anyone would have ever guessed.
Zach Bryan had the biggest album of the year, he says.
People want to hear that kind of music in other art forms, like Broadway.
Theres a growing appreciation for the musical theater format, Chance says.
Im excited to see where people take it, and how it evolves.
Were just excited to keep exploring where our collaboration takes us.
The musical has taught us to say, Yes to things and just dive in.
