Sway Clarke

Toronto-born singer/songwriter Sway Clarke (aka Sway Clarke II) is a literate, emotive performer who blends soulful R&B, indie-acoustic, alt-rock, and hip-hop. A native of Toronto, Canada, Clarke grew up listening to his father's reggae and R&B records, before discovering Brit-pop in his teens. He taught himself to play guitar, and began writing his own music, eventually balancing his love of bands like Radiohead and Oasis with artists like Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z. He began writing for other performers, most notably for rapper Tinie Tempah. Buoyed by his success, he relocated to Germany where he continued to work as a songwriter while developing his own sound. Around 2013, he started garnering buzz online for tracks like "I Don't Need Much" and "Secret Garden." However, his momentum took a hit after he signed a bad record deal that left much of what he recorded unreleased. Undeterred, Clarke found himself in a vibrant arts community in Berlin and kept working on his music. In 2017, he returned with the single "Either Way," followed a year later by "Drugs." ~ Matt Collar