Ace Clvrk performs at SoundOn Sessions: These opportunities are massive

Genre-defying London-based artist Ace Clvrk recently gave a showstopping performance at the second SoundOn Session at The Pioneer Club, with his unique blend of alternative R&B, soul, and indie rock captivating all in attendance.

SoundOn is TikTok’s music distribution and marketing platform, designed to allow artists to distribute their music on TikTok and across major streaming services, while maintaining full ownership and artist-friendly royalties without administrative fees.

SoundOn has also entered into a new partnership with Headliner Spaces to launch SoundOn Sessions, an initiative aimed at championing the best new talent the UK has to offer by giving them the chance to perform at one of the most exciting grassroots venues and creative hubs in the country in the form of TPioneer Club in St. Albans.

“I started out as a songwriter, writing sync music for Warner Chappell and then during lockdown I got bored of being in the industry behind the scenes, so I decided to start making music for myself,” Clark, one of this year’s MOBO UnSung Class of 2023, tells Headliner ahead of his stellar set. “I wanted to just enjoy the process of making music.”

He is also quick to point to the support SoundOn has offered him on his journey so far.

“It feels really good to be supported by the powerhouse that is SoundOn,” he continues. “They’ve helped massively with things like tips and tricks on how to use TikTok. If you are an artist today who doesn’t have an understanding of how to use social media, particularly TikTok, then you’re probably going to struggle to build a fanbase. The support they have given me with my release has been really good, and just helping to understand TikTok and how it works is huge. It’s a massive part of any artist’s repertoire now. You have to focus on it and being able to understand that has helped massively.”

Clvrk also highlights the role of events like SoundOn Sessions in enabling new artists to develop their stagecraft.

“These types of opportunities are massive for people at this stage of my career,” he says. “I’m not going to be able to come and headline a venue like The Pioneer Club so to have the experience of performing here is invaluable. It’s really important to perform these kinds of shows as part of the journey.”

He continues: “SoundOn really is great for emerging artists because of the amount of control and support they offer. Being able to distribute your music with that level of control and freedom is a huge benefit, especially if you are an independent artist. And the people who I have been working with at SoundOn have been brilliant.

Clvrk also describes what he considers to be the biggest challenges facing new talent in today’s market.

“The biggest challenge is that there are loads of artists at the moment,” he states. “But that is because of the opportunity social media has given people. For me it’s really about being able to stand out from the crowd, and to do that you have to be really authentic and clear in your vision. But the sheer amount of music that is uploaded every single day is the biggest challenge.”

In addition to the standout performances at the latest SoundOn Session, another key component of the evening’s success was The Pioneer Club’s sound system, which is made up of eight JBL SRX910 line arrays, four SRX928S ground-stacked subs and four JBL PRX908 floor monitors.

Two PRX915 DJ monitors also feature at the venue, along with a Soundcraft Ui24 mixer. Two JBL PRX912s meanwhile are positioned on the VIP balcony as delays.

JBL’s presence at The Pioneer Club also reaches into its bar and mini performance area – The Suet Yard, complete with a bar powered by Signature Brew and a JBL-powered PA system that can accommodate everything from DJ sets and stripped back and acoustic sessions for up to 200 people.

The full PA system consists of a selection of speakers from JBL’s PRX Series, including PRX915XLF subwoofers, PRX908 and IRX108BT loudspeakers, as well as a Soundcraft Ui24R mixer.

The second SoundOn Session at The Pioneer Club was also the first show to utilise the venue's brand new LED wall and floor, courtesy of Leyard.

Furthermore, a comprehensive Martin Lighting rig works to spotlight the artists and sets the mood on stage and throughout the venue, which includes compact beam moving heads, bright single-lens LED moving heads, bright single-lens LED PAR cans, bright single-lens colour LED PAR can light fixtures, ultra-bright quad LED blinder fixtures and a JEM ZR35 fog machine.