David likes to think that he moved to New York to work for visual artists NANCY SPERO and LEON GOLUB ,while interning as a lithographer at SOLO IMPRESSIONS,.

That's half the story.

He abandoned his graduate studies in art in Northampton MA when he fell for an East Village poet. Once he was safely ensconced in New York, he was lucky to find some great jobs.

Mere weeks after arriving, Clement was a single man in The Big City.

With all his newfound freetime, he volunteered in the youth programs at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services CENTER, conducting workshops in visual art, creative writing.

Then, a visit from a high school classmate changed his life. LIZ PHAIR recognized her friend's talent and remembers saying, “You should be doing this.”

The next week, he performed at an open mic.

This was the first time that he was heard by the A&R guy who would eventually sign David to Mercury Records.

Dozens of hootenannies later, David played his first solo gig and was soon playing regularly around the city.

He wrote and recorded songs when he could afford to -two or three songs here and there- until he had enough songs for an album. His first CD, Be More Like Me (Wild Monk Records) was a lo-fi hodge-podge and garnered critical acclaim; it was picked as “critic's choice” by Billboard.

Next came the first band:

• Chris Cochrane: avant guitarists (Suck Pretty, No Safety)
• Marc Ribot: guitar(Elvis's attractions, etc.),
• Richard Dworkin: drums (Alex Chilton, etc.)t
• Mike Stanzillis: bass (Sandra Bernhard)

Then some recording with:

• MARTY BELLER:drums (They Might Be Giants,The Negro Problem),
• ROB BAILEY: guitar (Anastasia, Jive, and even Mandy Moore, but didn't play bass for AC/DC).

After a series of live gigs, demo projects, and eventually signing with Polygram, David met Jeffrey Lesser, the eclectic producer of such varied artists as Lou Reed, Joni Mitchell, the Prissteens, and even Streisand.

The result was to be Beauty/Mercury Records' first release, David Clement's Hard Candy.

Making his way back East, Clement stopped in Chicago and played some gigs at SCHUBA'S, and METRO. Those shows got him an invitation to play at STEPPENWOLF THEATRE'S as part of their TRAFFIC SERIES.

Finally back in NYC, David added cellist ERIN HALL to his band and played residencies.

Hard Candy was never released and the finished CD was in legal limbo for years.

Needing a change, and following his heart again, David headed west to L.A. where he played at: THE GIG, THE MINT, and a particularly surreal show at the CINEGRILL,

In California, David found some larger outlets for his music when it was featured on the WB's Jack and Jill, and Dawson's Creek.

(Clement eventually self-released 12 songs from Hard Candy as YOUR FREE GIFT in 2002.)

EARLY YEARS

• EDMONDS, WA
• SEAVIEW ELEMENTARY
• J. P. PATCHES
• JOHN CANDELARIO (guitar teacher)
• DAVID BOWIE BIG NOTE SONGBOOK
• LYNWOOD ROLL-A-WAY
• STEVENS PASS

HIGH SCHOOL

• WILMETTE, IL
• WAX TRAX RECORDS
• BERLIN
• SO YOU'RE THINKING OF DROPPING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL?
• SIMON'S ROCK EARLY COLLEGE, OF BARD