C.L. Turner, the creative force behind Arctic Wave, is a musician whose journey is defined by overcoming adversity. His path in music began amidst personal trials—losing loved ones, navigating a custody battle, and facing career obstacles. These experiences inspired Turner to start writing music, creating over 75 original tracks that delve into the intricacies of human emotions. Collaborating with acclaimed producer Will Hensley, Turner and Arctic Wave crafted the album Heart and Soul, which blends commercial appeal with profound emotional depth. His latest lively single, "Jersey Girl," channels his connection to New Jersey, a state where he spent three formative years, saw the birth of his daughter, and honed his artistic vision. The song is a vibrant tribute to the state’s unique spirit and musical legacy, with nods to iconic artists like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Bruce Springsteen. "Jersey Girl" also playfully references local landmarks and flavors, making it a joyful and nostalgic tune.
SJ: Hey C.L.! We’re excited to dive into Arctic Wave’s new track!
1. SJ: You’re the founder and lead songwriter of your band Arctic Wave. Can you tell us a little about your musical background, the members of the band, and what sparked you to start Arctic Wave?
CL: I’ve played the keys since forever. Growing up in Dallas, we always had a piano. My sister played classical songs, but I just wanted to pick out the songs that were on the radio – Prince, Cure, etc. After college, I played a bit in the Caribbean, mainly doing Marley covers. Started writing songs fifteen years ago while going through the "spin cycle" – 2 (twin) friends committed suicide, my mother died, my ex- and I had a tough custody battle, lost a job, etc. Fortuitously, when my life calmed, the songwriting spigot stayed on.
About 3 years ago, I decided to have ~13 of my songs very professionally recorded. The project went well, the songs were well-received, and the camaraderie is great. Arctic Wave was born. We’ve intentionally kept the members’ anonymity, although that will change soon.
I can tell you that the producer/guitarist, Will Hensley, has a Grammy and has worked with Coldplay. The drummer has played with Diane Birch, the keyboardist has toured for 10 years with CSN, the singer had ~5 top 40 songs with a Boston-based band and the drummer is massively skilled with a great roster of prior acts.
2. SJ: You just released a new single and music video titled, “Jersey Girl,” your eighth single release with the band. What was the initial inspiration behind this track? Were there any specific artists that inspired you?
CL: For color, my ex- is from NJ and my daughter was born in NJ. When living in LA, I had a dinner date with an Italian-American actress from NJ. She wanted to go to an "old school Italian" restaurant in LA, so we did. Carpets, modest lighting, heavy Italian fare, Frank (photos) on the wall. The memories of my 3-4 years in NJ flooded me, so I wrote the song as an observational piece about the state.
The humor stems from the fact that my ex-, my daughter and this date all believe the song is about them; all are wrong, the song is just about the state and my (mostly good) memories. Also humorous; many people assume I must be a NJ-native. Not true. You won’t meet a prouder Texan (3 of the 6 in the band are Texans).
No specific artists inspired, but I did name drop a lot of NJ artists from Whitney to Aretha, to the "Boss" to Jon Bon Jovi. I met Bruce and Jon on many occasions. In fact, when my daughter was born, I celebrated with my then-father-in-law at Bon Jovi’s bar in Sea Bright, NJ. As for "Jersey Girl," I’m told it has a Green Day feel (albeit unintentional).
3. SJ: Can you tell us your songwriting process for “Jersey Girl”? What was the recording process like? Do you work more individually or collaboratively with your producer, Will Hensley?
CL: I wrote the song after returning to my house after the dinner date in LA. The core was complete in 30 minutes, done on the keys. (Producer) Will and the lead singer helped developed a rockier version than my piano original. We then added some parts. I remember being in the studio, telling the drummer to countdown in Italian, and adding the keyboard "Amore" riff on top. The (slightly profane) chant in the song was lifted directly from NJ nightclubs.
Produced by: Michael Christensen of Incline Video
4. SJ: You also released an accompanying music video for the track. Can you dive into the storyline of the music video, and how that was developed? Favorite part of the music video?
CL: The video mainly showcases well-know vignettes from NJ – the Boardwalk, pizza, the Jersey tunnel, etc. This video was produced by Michael Christensen of Incline Video in NY. Michael had the idea to "retro-fit" the song as if a resident of post-apocalyptic NJ stumbled on a video cassette, found an old player, and then watched the video. My favorite scenes were the beach/Boardwalk scenes. When I lived in NJ, my house was across the street from the ocean. First time I ever saw snow on a beach was in NJ – doesn’t happen in the Caribbean, FL, TX or CA.
5. SJ: What is one song you wish C.L. Turner wrote?
CL: I’ll name a few by genre:
Ballad – "Stay" by Post Malone. What a diversely talented guy (and fellow Texan). While some of his songs are just two-chord toggles ("Psycho"), "Stay" is a beautifully written number than any songwriter would be proud to author.
Rock – "Sugar" by Fall Out Boy. Because. It. Rocks. So. Well.
Rap – “Gangsta’s Paradise” by Coolio. The singer, LV, who has massive pipes, may sing on a
tune on our 3 rd album. Fingers crossed.
Reggae – "Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley. He wrote this song when he was ~17, winning a Grammy for 'Reggae Song of the Year.' Of course, the beat is infectious, but the lyric, "Don’t know your past, don’t know your future" reminds me of Bob’s lyric from "Exodus," "We know where we’re goin’ cause we know where we’re from."
SJ: What’s next for Arctic Wave?
CL: Lots of music. We will finish releasing album one songs and vids by year end '24. Album 2 is done and we’ll shoot album two vids in fall ‘24. We also head to the studio for album three cuts in fall ‘24, and should finish by year end '24. And demos are stacking up – 30 and counting, ~half of which will comprise album four, to be recorded later in ’25.
Listen to "Jersey Girl" below!
Credits:
Songwriting: C.L. Turner
Production: Will Hensley
댓글