By Margarita Paulsen
Filipino-Norwegian music star Clinton Kane applies the "ignore the haters" mantra when it comes to his music. He tackles cynical people by focusing on himself and his music, and nothing else.
“If you stop thinking about what other people think of you and other people’s careers, when you stop looking at other people and just focus on yourself, then I think you’re on your way," the singer-songwriter told Manila Standard Entertainment in a virtual interview,
Kane, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter born in Perth, Australia, was raised in the U.K.. As a self-taught musician, he was able to learn playing the guitar, piano, and drums through his musical influences.
Music has become his form of self-care and hopes that it would have the same effect on others.
“[So] you just keep doing it, keep doing it, [and] one day later, something’s going to happen. Just be real, I think that’s it,” he added.
Kane has just released his single entitled “hopeless” including the song “forget about us.”
These songs were influenced by his feelings of loneliness and despair that derived from failed relationships, especially with his father who recently passed away.
Growing up, his father was out of the picture, leaving his single mother taking care of him together with his two brothers. Life was not easy for his family, which forced him to become independent in the past years.
In 2018, he traveled to Greece alone with only $500 in his pocket and told nobody but his friends. He struggled with making a living for the first few months which left him homeless, sleeping on park benches with his guitar and laptop, and constantly making music because that’s what makes him feel alive.
“It helps me process my emotions, [and] helps me feel things that I don’t want to feel because all my songs are very honest about my life,” he said.
According to the young musician, a lot of people think he’s very open but only considers himself open-minded, and explains “I’m just friendly but I’m actually a private person.”
Up to this day, Kane continues to travel alone while making music.
“I don’t like talking about my life but music helps me put that out there, and when I see that it’s okay and people are loving and vibing with it then I’m like more inclined,” he continues.
Kane’s latest singles are available on Spotify with more than four million monthly listeners.