You might not know who Cautious Clay is, but you’ve most likely heard his music. He’s behind the perky beat that drives Taylor Swift’s “London Boy”, the multimillion-streamed tribute to her boyfriend Joe Alwyn’s hometown, and the remix of “Ocean Eyes” – Billie Eilish’s breakthrough single – which was commissioned by her brother and co-writer, Finneas. There’s a good chance you’ve heard him in films or on TV, too. His 2018 debut “Cold War”, which melded a Frank Ocean level of introspection with gospel harmonies and slick pop production, cropped up in the soundtracks for both Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Issa Rae’s acclaimed comedy-drama, Insecure. The lyrics are astute, the arrangements complex: his songs are gorgeous reflections on his own shortcomings.
Born Joshua Karpeh in Cleveland, Ohio, he first picked up the flute aged seven because he loved the Disney film Aladdin, and wanted to be a snake charmer. Twenty-two years later, he’s making a career out of charming pop stars instead, offering his classically trained, multi-instrumentalist talents to John Legend, Khalid and John Mayer. Yet he’s expressed a wariness in the past of becoming reliant on “other people’s credibility” in order to make a name for himself. I’m curious: did he ever consider it could be the other way around?
