Clinton Fearon Discusses Songwriting, Being an “Optipessimist”

Seattle-based reggae musician, Clinton Fearon, likes to think of himself as an “optipessimist,” meaning he both strives for positivity but doesn’t ignore the negative side of things. Fearon, who often wears a bright smile and sings with a rich vocal timbre, knows that life takes hard work to get through. From a young boy in Jamaica to moving to and navigating the Northwest, Fearon has thrived, above all else, because of his passion for music. And it’s this passion that he continues to subsist on during the global Coronavirus pandemic while brining his regular live-streamed shows to his tens of thousands of fans.

Fearon, whose next live-stream will air on his Facebook page Sunday at 10 a.m. PT, released his latest album, History Say, last year. The record, which features songs like the ponderous, “Technology,” and hip shaking, “Mr. Pretender,” also speaks truth to power. Fearon, who says he doesn’t consider himself a protest song singer, notes, however, that he always aims to tell the truth in his music. Indeed, he treats his art very honestly. Without that approach, the songwriter says, there would be no point to the hard work.