DB Clifford: A Canadian Soul Man With A Special Plan

The video for DB Clifford's first single, "Simple Things," is a visual candy store featuring the French/British/Canadian multi-instrumentalist playing a very tiny piano. We're talking stealing your four-year-old cousin's tricycle tiny, at least that's what Clifford looks like hunched over the miniature ivories while surrounded by gothic kittens and lamb cut-outs.

"I've got that piano at home now," Clifford says with a laugh when asked where such a fantastic instrument could be found. "It's a kids piano with two octaves, and I use it almost every day.

"It's right next to my computer, so when I get stressed out I tickle on it. I also have all the kittens and the lamb. My apartment is like a weird cosmic farm with a small piano."

While listening to Clifford's Recyclable debut, a cosmic farm with dwarf pianos is the last place of inspiration that comes to mind. The sweet, soulful pop record, on which Clifford plays all instruments, mixes funky rhythms, poppy piano, summery guitar work, Clifford's powerful Motown-fueled vocals and thoughtful lyrics about love, hope and politics.

"I Have A Dream" is based on Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech, while the aforementioned single bravely features the line, "Power and religion/holding hands against all reason/soon the politicians/will be touching little boys with the Pope's permission."

Don't get this soul man wrong, though. He's not all business.

"I'm very optimistic," Clifford says. "I can be very negative on little things, but overall I'm optimistic about life and am rarely worried if I'm going to be OK because I know I'm going to be.

"Losing my mother had a lot to do with that. It makes you realize there's no time to waste being negative, worried or scared because you're still going to live and might as well make the best of it."

Clifford was born in France and raised there as well as in the U.K. by his parents. After completing a demo for his two-man-band Supernova and moving to Los Angeles, he fled the sunny city and lived in Victoria B.C.

Now standing on his own, living in Toronto, Clifford knows what he wants for his future.

"I'd like to be one of those artists to only release something once in a while because I want it to be special.

"That's why I've only signed for three albums, because that's all I want to do. I also want to do a lot of other stuff, like direct movies, write, travel... Music is amazing, it's got me this far, but I want to do so much more."

Clifford plays Toronto's York University on Feb. 19.