We’re back with another installment of our series on those in the music industry, and how they’ve been affected during Covid-19. Today’s interview is with Clara Sue Bailey.

Clara Sue Bailey was born and raised in Nashville and comes from a family of musicians. She’s been tour managing Kelsey Waldon for almost 3 years. When she’s not on the road, she works for the well-known and beloved bluegrass venue, the Station Inn.

What was the last gig/tour you worked before the shutdown?

The last full show I worked was actually in Stockholm, Sweden. Kelsey played at Twang before we headed home early on our European tour due to John Prine’s hip replacement.

When everything hit the fan we were minutes away from soundcheck in Indianapolis to start off a tour with the Drive By Truckers. Before we left for the tour I was very worried about the virus and had packed a lot of disinfectant and was also watching my email like a hawk. We already had our Seattle and Vancouver shows cancel, and there was an uneasy vibe around everything. I’m so glad we had our first show on the 12th of March and didn’t get stuck on the West Coast when everything shut down.

What have you been doing since shutdown began?

When shutdown first started, I spent it fully quarantined with one of my best friends who lives in another apartment in our home. All our other housemates left town to be with family, and since we are both Nashville natives, we stayed bunkered down here. We spent some time at my cabin in Granville as well, which was wonderful because there is no internet or cell service and we were able to escape a lot of the fear that was overwhelming (at times) in the beginning. There is a landline out there that only a few people had access to. That was actually where I found out that John was hospitalized with Covid. Kelsey was one of the few people who had the number, and being able to commiserate about that situation with such a close friend was so comforting and welcome.

Once things started to calm down, and right when I began to have anxiety that I would temporarily have to make money doing work that made me feel empty and unsatisfied, I started working as a production assistant with a local herbalist and good friend, Tori Fillmore, of Cedar Hill Homestead. It’s rewarding to work with plants and herbal medicine in the time of a medical emergency. I’m grateful I’ve been able to stay busy with that, and also support another small business and another strong woman.

Has Kelsey been working on any new projects?

Yes! Kelsey is always writing and working on her music. She is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever known. There is actually something in the works, project-wise, and more information on that will be coming out soon. She is also going to be playing Farm Aid this year which is a huge bucket list for her as she is so passionate about supporting our farmers, so this is a big deal for her personally. It’s also exciting to be included in such a coveted event next to all of the talented friends and idols on that line-up.

How has her routine shifted during quarantine?

We’re so used to being on the road that having this much time at home has been a shift in all our schedules. It is something I know we’ve all had to spend time adjusting to. But I know she’s loved being able to fully tend to her garden and spend time with her partner, Justin. They also got a beautiful new puppy, Luna!

Have you been booking or preparing for shows/tours for the new year?

Like everyone, we’re taking things one step at a time right now. The unknown is definitely a struggle, but more so than ever I’m so proud to be a part of Kelsey’s wonderful team. We are tirelessly working towards making sure we are up and running once things are safe to do so. We have a lot of things on the horizon and (Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) next year will be full of great shows!

What are the things, pre-pandemic, you miss the most, personally and professionally?

Personal and professional run hand in hand a lot of times. I miss live music and the band. I miss being so tired we laugh until we cry and all the other things you take for granted when you’re grinding away, tired as hell. I miss the van and our “gem jams” (what we call our go-to favorite songs). I also miss Kelsey’s fans and the people with whom we’ve built friendships with over the years, the people who come to visit me at the merch table. More personally, I miss Brown’s Diner and hanging out at The Station Inn. I miss my Dad’s garage and bonfires. I do tend to be a home-body when we’re not working, so in some ways I’ve been living my best life. But, you never realize how much your people mean to you until you can’t see them.

Tell us about any silver lining moments you have had during the pandemic

There have been a lot of silver linings throughout this, at times, god-awful year. My dog is really happy, he has my attention and time 24/7. Because I’ve made it a point to try to really rest to the core, my soul is feeling more in tune. I didn’t realize how tired I was. I’ve been communicating with friends I don’t always have time to be in touch with. Also, for some reason Tennessee has decided to have real seasons this year and that’s been great. I have an awesome front porch that I’ve been taking more advantage of.

What do you feel is the best thing artists can focus on right now?

I think the number one thing is taking care of your mental health. This is coming from someone who works for and is an artist, as well as having a father who is also a touring musician. He hasn’t had this much time off in 40 years, and that can screw with your whole identity! We all need to reach out and nurture our community. It’s important to know that everyone is in the same boat. You aren’t falling behind. We are all in this together.

What do you feel is the most important thing we can be doing as music fans right now to support the industry?

The art that touring artists create is completely reciprocal; they draw inspiration and energy and love from their audiences, and they return that energy to them tenfold. I think it’s important for us fans to realize that. Usually artists are playing shows and feeling the energy from their fans which fills them up to then ignite them to create more. Right now it can be easy to feel like the giving part of art is like shouting into the void: they are generating content and launching it into a vacuum. That can leave artists feeling depleted and alone. As fans we should make sure to continue to interact with our favorite artists in any way possible. Whether this be through social media or supporting them by buying their music and merchandise instead of streaming. I know this is especially hard right now with everyone struggling with money, but I know first-hand it certainly helps and also provides us (the fans) with more content from who we are wanting to hear from!

As a tour manager, what are your biggest worries for the music industry right now?

I worry about our venues! With everything being shut down and no money flowing in, we are already losing our venues and creative spaces at an unprecedented rate. To embellish on your earlier question, another important thing we can do as fans is to support our venues. https://www.nivassoc.org/ is a great place to go to do this.

I also worry about our booking agents and other parts of our teams who are struggling. We can’t tour without them! The uncertainty of the virus and how and when we’ll be able to congregate in large numbers does cause me anxiety, but even though I know shows may look different in the future, I do believe we will get back to some form of normalcy.

Conversely, is there anything you think this particular moment will allow us to fix or do better in the industry once it returns?

This period of time has given rise to a lot of camaraderie amongst musicians as well as the other working parts of the music industry. I am seeing a lot of people come together and commune more than they would normally, especially where they might only tend to their own business. I’m seeing front of house and back of house, touring crew and venue crew, all working together. I think this is beautiful and necessary for us to thrive in the future.

You can find Clara Sue on Instagram or email her at clarasuebailey@gmail.com

Cedar Hill Homestead

Kelsey Waldon