Musician, producer, songwriter.

I am a musician and record maker who has earned his stripes in this industry and now helps the singer-songwriter finish their thought; meet their vision; find the sound in their head.

  • "Clay is one of the most talented and knowledgeable musicians I’ve ever worked with. His reference base is so vast, and his devotion to the art of music has never wavered. There’s nothing he can’t sing or play."

    — John Mayer

  • "Clay Cook is a musician’s musician, a producer’s producer and a human’s human. I’m honored to work with him and even more honored to call him a friend."

    — Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke)

  • "Clay Cook is by far in the top of the top of talents I’ve ever worked with. He covers so much musical ability it’s dangerous. From playing so many instruments, songwriting, producing, mixing, he is in a league of his own with the ground he covers in his abilities and on top of all of that he’s a very kind human."

    — Coy Bowles (Zac Brown Band)

  • “There are musicians of high caliber, then there is Clay Cook caliber. He plays everything at the level of excellence expected of a solo artist. He sings and creates. Every molecule in his body is coded for music. Add to that, one of the most genuine human beings on earth, and you have a true artist.”

    — Peter Stroud (Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, Sarah McLachlan)

  • "Clay Cook is not only one of the finest musicians I have ever known, but his thoughtfulness, dedication and passion are unparalleled. His profile pick in my phone is Yoda."

    — John Driskell Hopkins (Zac Brown Band)

About Me

I spent my formative years in Atlanta learning guitar and drums. Once arriving at Berklee College of Music, I started writing songs and studying production and engineering.

After returning to Atlanta, I spent several years playing with John Mayer, Sugarland, Marshall Tucker Band, Shawn Mullins, and Y-O-U. While working with these artists, I began incorporating piano, Hammond B3, pedal steel, and mandolin into my bag of tricks. My time working with these artists was invaluable and further stoked the fire I have for this profession and making records.

During that period I also worked in studios around Atlanta and learning the craft of engineering and producing. Eventually, I started my own studio: The Small Room.

This long and winding road built me to be the musician I am today, preparing me to become a member of Zac Brown Band. I couldn’t ask more than to be a part of this group playing alongside my family night after night.

The past few years have ushered me to recording remotely and mixing records for other artists… something that I really enjoy and have built a very good system for.

Fifteen years ago the “jack-of-all-trades” idea held some weak links. Today, each one sharpens the others. If you hire me to play, you are hiring a producer's ear at the same time. If you hire me to engineer, you are also getting an arranger reading the song while balancing levels. The hats have stopped trading off and started harmonizing.

Let’s build something together.