Clay Street Unit

"Whenever we're onstage, we're just trying to throw a party," says Clay Street Unit's Sam
Walker. "Life's hard enough already. We want to remind people to let loose, love each
other, and enjoy themselves."

Celebration. Catharsis. Friendship. It's all part of Sin & Squalor, Clay Street Unit's full-
length debut. Recorded in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and inspired by the sounds

of the Appalachians, it's a record that blurs the borders between genre and geography.
The result is a singular interpretation of American roots music — a sound that mixes the
acoustic instrumentation of bluegrass and folk with the amplified energy of Americana
and country. Driven forward by drums, sharp songwriting, and the chemistry of six good
friends and musical brothers who've shared countless hours on stage, Sin & Squalor
doesn't just nod to Clay Street Unit's wide spread of influences; it reshapes them into
something new.
Everything began in Denver, Colorado, where Clay Street Unit formed in 2021. Many of
the band's members — mandolinist Scottie Bolin, banjo player Jack Cline, pedal steel
guitarist Brad Larrison, drummer Brendan Lamb, and singer/guitarist/ringleader Sam
Walker — had grown up elsewhere, spending their teenage years in cities like Atlanta,
Charlottesville and Montgomery. Coming together in Colorado where they added bassist
Jack Kotarba, they mixed the southern soundtrack of their youths with the raw, rugged
spirit of the West. After building an audience at local venues like Cervantes, the guys hit
the road, where the very thing that once made their music so difficult to categorize — the
sheer diversity of their sound — became one of their calling cards.
"We played bluegrass events, folk festivals, and country venues," Walker says of those
early shows, which the bandmates often booked themselves. "We were able to share our
music with so many different demographics and dip our toes into different pools, and what
we realized is, it's all pretty similar. Our music seemed to meet everyone in the middle."
Between their cross-country tours, Clay Street Unit found time to head back home to
Denver, where they recorded Sin & Squalor with producer (and co-founder of the
Grammy-winning Infamous Stringdusters) Chris Pandolfi. Harnessing the electricity of the
band's live show felt like a natural goal, but the guys pushed for something deeper too,
showcasing the songwriting chops that had evolved since the release of their introductory
EP, A Mighty Fine Evening, in 2022. "We recorded A Mighty Fine Evening in three hours
on a Wednesday night, with a case of beer," Walker remembers. "It was a great
representation of who we were at the time, but we wanted to capture something deeper

and emotionally vulnerable with this album. Sin & Squalor grapples with some heavier
concepts, and we tried to do so in a relatable way."
Heavier concepts can't weigh down Clay Street Unit, though. The guys are still throwing
a party. With its call-and-response chorus and dazzling mandolin riffs, "Where Have You
Gone" is a roots-steeped anthem, shot through with fire-powered fretwork and heartland
hooks. Similarly, "Drive" begins with an aching lament, as the lyrics capture the racing
thoughts of a traveler who misses the loved ones he's left behind, only to slam into an
energetic fifth gear during its final stretch. "That song is about wanting to be with
someone," Walker explains, "and the impulse you might have to just drop everything and
drive to them. In the studio, we thought, 'Why not highlight that urgency by kicking into
double time at the end of the song?' We wanted to showcase the immediacy of the
moment."
Sin & Squalor showcases more than the string-band stomp and eclectic enthusiasm of a
must-see live act, though. It also highlights Walker's ability to turn everyday stories into
something cinematic. On "Let's Get Stoned," he paints the picture of two lovers taking
stock of life's simple pleasures. The rent is high and their apartment is cold, but they've
still got each other, as well as some weed and bottom-shelf whiskey. The song is a
countrified celebration of the things that keep us aloft, and Walker sings it with a voice
like broken-in leather, supple one minute and sturdy the next.
Call it folk-country. Call it western Americana. Call it Rocky Mountain Newgrass with
southern soul. Clay Street Unit aren't concerned about the various definitions; they're just
happy that more and more people are listening. With Sin & Squalor, they stake their claim
as torchbearers of something both fresh and familiar, nodding to the traditions of
American roots music while sharpening their own modern edge.