Images promoting country singer Clayton Anderson’s latest single, “Struggle Bus,” show him in the driver’s seat of such a vehicle. But the Bedford native laughs about such illusions of control over much of anything these days.
Anderson recovered from COVID-19 in the spring — after passing it to his entire Hoosier family other than his grandmother — and he has recovered from enough setbacks and disappointments in the music industry since 2008 to overflow an album with hard-drinking and heartbreak songs.
“I got a little negative there for a little bit (recently),” said the Nashville, Tennessee, resident during a visit to Indianapolis. “The music business can really tumble you around a little. We’ve been so close to doing something awesome…and then just had the rug pulled out from under us like just a big punch in the gut.”
Anderson considers his upcoming Saturday show at Ceraland Park’s Cerafest Concert Series pretty awesome. In fact, he calls the outdoor recreation area southeast of Columbus, which has been the site of two of his previous concerts, “a real hidden gem.”
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He’s aiming for two hours of what he terms “Midwestern rock ‘n’ roll,” which is perhaps a tip of the cap to hero and Seymour native John Mellencamp.
“Our following has grown there at Ceraland,” he said. “So, hopefully, everybody comes on out.”
The independent artist, whose major music push began with winning Kenny Chesney’s Next Big Star competition in Cincinnati, has been oh-so-close to record deals more than once.
He has enjoyed his share of the spotlight, including videos such as “In the Dark,” which got significant play on CMT, but the former landscaper still hopes that all things will work in his favor in the long run.
“Waylon Jennings was one of the ones who said you can’t do this for the money,” Anderson said.
Some people assumed Anderson’s “Struggle Bus” tune was about dealing with the quarantine and more. However, Anderson said it actually focused on “a roller coaster of a disaster of a relationship I had gotten out of.”
Since the lockdown earlier in the year, his livestreams have been more diversions. He performed one for out-of-work Indianapolis restaurant staffers, which raised $10,000.
Others shows have included his share of humor. Before one lonely livestream in the spring, he noted that, years ago, for a show in Atlanta, Georgia, only one listener showed up.
“Now that was rough,” he wrote on Twitter.
Anderson moved to Nashville in 2012, and has seen how topsy-turvy the business has been. He is thankful for every audience, including the 40,000 in May 2019 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway while opening for the Zac Brown Band.
“I think that, a lot of times, if people don’t regularly see you headlining a major-label tour, they just figure you haven’t made it yet,” Anderson said. “I’ve seen a lot of people with record deals touring with big names, such as Toby Keith, and now suddenly those people are gone. We’re still touring and playing thanks to our grassroots efforts and a great fan base, especially in southern Indiana.”
Anderson has done a tour of Indiana lake shows that have proven satisfying for the water-lover who grew up listening to Jimmy Buffet beach tunes.
“These lake shows have been incredible for me, almost like a two-in-one deal,” he said. “Anytime I can be on the water, it’s great.”
With any downtime, Anderson has been trying to spend as much time as possible with a giggly 6-year-old niece.
“I know that, maybe within a couple years or so, she’s not going to think I’m so cool anymore,” he said.
His Twitter page includes a video clip of them enjoying a spin around the block on his tour bus. One detail from that segment is important to remember about Clayton Anderson’s current life and times: he’s not in the driver’s seat.
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What: Ceraland Park’s Cerafest Concert Series featuring country singer Clayton Anderson.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Ceraland Park at 3989 S. County Road 525E, in southeast Columbus.
Tickets: $10 general admission and $30 VIP that includes a meet-and-greet time and front row seating.
Information: cerland.org
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