Gary clark

You could say I'm a laid-back kind of guy.

I've been called 'musically schizophrenic,' and some people think that's a cool thing.

When I got my first guitar, I played along with everything I heard that had guitar in it, like the Ramones, Nirvana and Sublime, as well as whatever hip-hop and R&B stuff was on the radio.

When I was growing up, I would go hang out with older guys at night in blues clubs.

There's nothing like a music festival. People are ready to have a good time. I don't think anyone comes to a festival going, 'I'm gonna be a complete bummer today.'

For a black male, the sound of the blues is pre-Civil Rights. It's oppression.

The guys in my band buy instruments and sell and trade them. But if I have something I hang onto it. Everything is sentimental to me.

I know that I'm capable of moving around on the guitar. I can express myself the way I want to and feel good about it. But as far as technical chops, I'm not a learned musician.

You know, I've never done karaoke, ever. It makes me nervous - I think it's the lack of the guitar and just a microphone.

I never expected to be approached for an ad campaign.