Meet Wendy Clark | Band Leader, Musician, Guitarist, Writer, Composer, Recording Artist, Digital Content Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Wendy Clark and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Wendy, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.

My world makes me happy. My dog, music, and my close relationships.

Writing and playing music balances me, and I enjoy the companionship and fun with my bandmates. Playing music as a ritual activates the brain receptors to be able to meditate and completely focus. The love of my good friends and family and being with people who are mostly happy is an essential part of my well-being. And my dog Mazey–and past doggos Sky and Rusty–are everything to me.

The small list of what makes me happy is both the therapy and the cure and give me a reason to wake up and do my best every day.

Guitars, recording, making videos, watching true crime with Ava, the mountains, playing in my band, practicing with Chris, photography, writing, cottage cheese, hiking, and being myself despite and inspite of the consequences. Technology, new shoes, travel, and my brother and family in Spain contribute to my happiness.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

My name is Wendy Clark and my art is sound. I dabble in design, I write a lot of prose and attempt poetry, I create videos, take and manipulate photographs, and work with visual content too.

But I decided my favorite art was creating and performing music when I was a little kid, and I grew up with this reinforced directly and indirectly through my environment, and hereditary pretense flooded my existence. I wanted to make songs and never found it satisfying to play another’s work unless it was classical or standard jazz because I was raised by professional musicians, and encouraged to be creative and given every opportunity to perform since I could reach the piano.

Music is the only thing that I never get bored of, and gave me the confidence and focus and serotonin and dopamine that nothing else came close to, and when I taught myself to be good at it, that was the big deal for me. The one trip that I wanted to take, and I wanted it badly since I could lip-sync in the wall mirror and play my parent’s old guitars and the one talent I probably was not cut out for – due to shyness, panic disorder, and my verbal communication hurdles which I attribute to being left-handed.

I am the bandleader, writer, composer, singer, guitarist, recording artist with Denver’s Wendy Clark Band.

Fragmentary and random, I have spent most of my life playing music, thinking in melodies, calming myself by meshing my writing ability and die-hard desire to conquer guitar and playing in a band, and this was an easy decision.

I graduated with a Creative Writing degree in English and soon realized I had to play in a band, but also write a novel, and the latter is still on chapter one revisions 26 years going.

The Wendy Clark Band was formed in 2011 after my previous band of 15 years went separate ways, and consists of the best musicians I know, and happily, they want to play with me as much as I am over the moon that I write and play music with them.

I write and play music with my best friends: Chris Coward on bass and vocals, Mark Hendrickson on drums and percussion, Andy Sweetser on drums, and Kate LeRoux on guitar and vocals. We perform live venues throughout Colorado as a duo to a five piece, we play non-genre specific rock — what we coin as “retro-futuristic new wave rock”. I am inspired by the people in my life who play music and it has been every day, all of my life.

Chris, Mark, and I went to Boston and recorded an EP (with Kate on the first single, ” 60 Songs”) in February 2025 and we are releasing the full EP later this year. I was selected by Plaid Dog Records to run a crowdfunding campaign and happily met our goal of 9k which Brian Blush plays lead guitar on three of the songs. Our first single titled “60 Songs” was released on election day and has been played internationally.

History
The Wendy Clark Band hatched after I spent years playing with the band I founded called Tequila Mockingbird in 1996 and transitioned in 2011 when most of us parted ways. I have had the same lineup in WCB for ten years, and am proud of the longevity and endurance as we have spent some time getting our songs recorded and after ten years or hard work, we have made one of the best records with the best experiences that I could imagine.

Before WCB, I founded band called Tequila Mockingbird, and recorded my first record in 1998 called UFO (a song that was actually on our next album, Alien-American 2004) at Fanfare Studios in Golden with Rob Squires (Big Head Todd) on bass after our first bassist spontaneously combusted. David Glasser at Airshow in Boulder mastered UFO and our third release, Luck and Trouble (2010).

Detroit
Growing up in the vibrant musical city of Detroit to professional musicians in a home where music played the central role in my family; each day and every room of my house resonated with rhythm and melodies. I started playing piano and French horn, sang in choirs, and started my first band when I was fifteen. Despite not getting a record deal, I was certain that I was going to start a band after college when I moved to colorado. My dad bought me a guitar when I was a junior in college, and I was obsessed. It took awhile but a few years later, I was ready to play in a rock band and had eleven songs ready to go.

Even as a toddler, I remember watching my God-brother Brian and his dedication to his guitar, and how much love he put into playing and practicing. We knew he would be famous someday; he played every time we saw him, and he (and my parents) instilled in me the absolute importance of practice, and you actually should want to be good at it. You should love your art enough to be as good as you can be, then get better.

My biggest push to urgently start a band was after sitting on the side of the stage at a show at the ballroom at University of Northern Colorado at Greeley. After an evening in the green room in Greeley with Brian’s band, The Refreshments and the Gin Blossoms and Dead Hot Workshop, and almost surprisingly (I was shy in those days) everyone’s encouragement and the opportunity to see them up close at that concert and the electric happiness of all of the band members, I felt like I was part of something bigger than I knew. Later when the drummer played me a three-chord song at Brian’s prompt, they were all urging me to just jump in, three chords will write ten-thousand songs. I knew that night and at that moment, I was going to play music. It was the best night of my life.

Happily, I instinctively knew how to write because I also knew that not everyone had the same ideas that I had.
And I kept on. I carried my pens and paper and I furiously had to write down lines that I thought were clever or meaningful. I filled up every page of a hundred plus notebooks. I had material that I could use for something. I was thinking of songs. I knew the G, E, and A chords, and sort of D, so I threw these words and phrases together into stories and was always thinking of what my friends and family would think, or that new babe in Psych 2001, or Brian, and my brother would help me with the big idea sometimes, and I was a writer! A song writer. And I was good at it.

We played our first real gig at the Cricket on the Hill and we were a huge hit. We were ready to roll. Rigorous rehearsals three or four days per week, and we played every bar that would let us, days of working on handbills and mail outs and grassroots promo; we played whenever or wherever we were asked, and that’s what we had to do. You start at the bottom, you pay your dues and try not to get frustrated when the room is dead or you were double-booked, and you work some psychology to keep your band together. You do what you say you are going to do and if someone bails, you figure it out fast. Sadly, you will get a couple calls that make you feel like the floor has dropped because you never know what anyone is going to do.

But on the integrity side, TQMB had two cancellations in our entire run: when the guitarist was struck by lightning and another last minute cancellation when my drummer was stabbed and called from the hospital to tell me about the Jaws of Life ride. We had to forfeit the first Lion’s Lair gig, but he was playing by the next weekend.

Tequila Mockingbird was different because we weren’t the cool kids, but we played the cool shows, wrote the good songs, kept the people drinking and dancing, and because we were fun and tight. The songs I wrote were relatable and catchy. We were ridiculously good-looking. We were professional and for the most part, we all worked hard. I was one of the first female fronts on the Cricket scene who had a band that opened up for almost exclusively all male lineups. From Opie Gone Bad to Dr. Hook to Brethren Fast, I was the girl and it was good because everybody seemed to know me. Our band had a good run for fifteen years, twelve of those years having the same lineup which was a rare phenomenon. We recorded two more full length albums, the last one we did ourselves, and it charted, we had television and radio spots, and like all relationships, we had turbulence.

Upon reflection, it wasn’t easy. I had a Roland Jazz Chorus Amplifier with two twelve inch speakers and a few bandmates who insisted I buy it, also would not help with hauling it. The band was family, take it or leave it, and so we had our drama, but we had our act together and when we were good we were unstoppable.

Growing up with the four of them was a different education than many women will have. I was twenty-four, 5’2, 99 pounds soaking wet. I had a lot to contend with. I had a severe diagnosis of Acute Panic Disorder handed to me at 28 years old. I had to drink enough Jagermeister to get on stage some nights, and some nights too much. I wasn’t a tortured artist for too long, and sought treatment so survival was possible, and happiness became a reality. I had a knack for taking my experiences and turning them into hooky songs, and I pride myself on my lyrics, always hoping the are either hilarious or helpful.

We parted ways in 2011 and at my friend and mentor Chris Daniel’s (Chris Daniels and The Kings) recommendation, I launched the Wendy Clark Band and played the field for a couple of years, not getting emotionally attached or dependent on anyone.

WCB was the dream I had been working for and writing for and waiting for my whole life, and after meeting my bassist Chris, I found the camaraderie I sought. We formed a seven-piece and as I taught myself to improvise, we worked and played hard; every gig was more fun and magical than the one before, and we have a couple hundred shows under our belt, plus we have hundreds of songs and thousands more shows to play.

We recorded an EP in Boston after successfully raising 9k at Plaid Dog Records in February of 2025 with three tracks that include Brian Blush on guitar, to be released later this year.

I learned that only playing music takes every part of your mind and learning to improvise and enjoy playing is transcending time and space, and this is as focused as one can be, and during these times, I am doing my best and the sound and music is still rolling, and everything is okay.

The world should know that the WCB would love for you to listen, learn, sway with the music and sing along.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

If my best friend was visiting, which a couple have, I would take them to Breckenridge and teach them how to ski, drink beer, and pick them up when they fall down. We would go to the Breckenridge Brewery and I would tell the story of how my first drummer played so loud that all the bottles fell off the shelves behind him. We would stay with my cousin and wake up to the beautiful mountains, grab Pete’s Kitchen for breakfast at any time, and head to Boulder. Boulder. There I would be giving them the full Boulder experience by hitting the Pearl Street Mall and hiking on of the Flatirons (once acclimated), run from coyotes with Mazey, then eat at the Mountain Sun Brewery. And maybe drive up Flagstaff Mountain. Then obviously, we would go to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, walk up Seven Falls, and get back to catch live music at Odde’s Music Grill in Westminster.

Then we’d go axe-throwing but I have no idea why or where or how. Then we would hang out and watch true crime or listen to some records.
And then we would go to Golden and the park and look at Coors Brewery before going to play nickel slots up in Central City and or Blackhawk.
If we had the time to charter a helicopter to Creede and play a show that would also be on the agenda.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Everybody who I have met and shared some life with deserves some credit. I would be no one and nothing without my dog(s), and I spend the most time with my old girl Mazey Cooper Clark, The Wonderdog, so this goes out to her for saving me on a day-to-day basis naturally. She’s an ESA and ESD, and she’s sort of everything.

I want to dedicate my shoutout to the family and friends who have consistently made me know I was needed as much as I need them. Also of course, I want to dedicate my shoutout to my friend and bassist, Chris Coward. In my recent adult life, I have a music partner who has been at my side for better or worse for a decade. Consistently and unconditionally, Chris is that type of person (besides my grandmother) who has always made me feel like I was always the most important person in all situations, serially suspiciously non-judgmental, and has a genuine mind for understanding me. And appropriately building me back up after some difficult times.

Chris broke down the doors to my loneliness camp and knew what I lacked and needed: confidence and a partner. Playing with Chris feels like home to me. We have made ourselves contenders and we love to play together. It’s her band as much as it is mine; she is my left-handed, psychological and logical spirit animal, my musical soulmate, my sister, and my mentor.

Also my drummer and percussionist and sweet pal Mark Hendrickson, and to my old comrade Kate LeRoux who was baptized with the same hypodermic needle as I was, and my drummer Andy Sweetser who’s shaped our band since our first show.

And a shoutout to my beautiful friend Ava Henrickson who keeps me laughing every day and is that person who knows everything about you and still thinks you are cool.

And my mom, dad, brother and family, as always.

Website: https://wendyclarkmusic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wclarkhudson

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyclarkhudson

Twitter: https://x.com/wclarkhudson

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tequilamockingbirdmusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyClarkBand

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/wendy-clark-band-denver

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/wendyclark/

Image Credits
Ava Henrickson
Gwen Dordick
Christine Henderson