Cautious Clay Switches Into Night Mode on His New Album The Hours: Night
Anything Can Happen
Cautious Clay’s Night Shift: Music for the Unfinished Moments
For more than a decade, Cautious Clay, the artistic moniker of singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Karpeh, has been quietly reshaping the contours of modern indie R&B, alt-soul, and experimental pop. A former jazz saxophonist who evolved into a meticulous producer and songwriter, Karpeh built an early following with genre-blurringEPs before becoming a sought-after collaborator for artists including Billie Eilish, John Mayer, John Legend, Khalid, Remi Wolf, Melanie Martinez, Kavinsky, BTS’s V, and Tycho.
In a recent conversation with Good Call’s Justin Staple, Karpeh opened up about his newest creative chapter, a two-partproject called The Hours that traces an entire day in music, feeling, and atmosphere. The first half, The Hours: Morning, arrived earlier this year; the second half, The Hours: Night, now steps into view with the release of its centerpiece single, “Art Museum (2am).”
Where Morning leans into clarity, warmth, and the soft acceleration of daybreak, Night emerges from a different emotional landscape**,** unguarded, intuitive, and charged with the peculiar honesty that only the late hours can unlock. Karpeh describes it as the “counterweight” to its daytime companion, but it plays more like a nocturnal confidant: riskier, freer, and alive with the openness that comes when the world goes quiet.
Anchored by songs like “Fade Blue (11pm)” and the spellbound new single “Art Museum (2am),” the album explores connections that feel suspended outside ordinary chronology. “Art Museum” serves almost as a thesis statement, a reflection on longing, self-worth, and the way certain people or moments imprint on you like a piece of art you can’t quite shake.
Musically, Night drifts through ambient textures, neo-soul flourishes, and experimental R&B frameworks, shaping a fluid, dreamlike narrative. The record captures the erratic rhythms of the late night—its glow, its drifting thoughts, its looseness—while digging into presence, identity, and emotional release. If Morning is organized like a sunrise ritual, Night is a breath taken in the dark.
Together, the two records present a 24-track panorama: sunlight versus shadow, structure versus improvisation, routine versus instinct. But on its own, The Hours: Night stands as one of Karpeh’s most revealing and adventurous works to date, a reflection of the emotional clarity and imaginative freedom he finds after midnight.
With The Hours: Night, Cautious Clay continues an ambitious new era—one that pushes him deeper into conceptual storytelling while reaffirming why he remains one of the most distinct, shapeshifting voices in contemporary music.
First, I wanted to just get it in your own words—tell us a little overview about The Hours: Night.
CC: Yeah. The Hours: Night is the follow-up to The Hours: Morning. I wanted it to feel like a very specific contrast, both sonically and thematically, to the morning version of the album.
So I focused on creating a different soundscape and exploring different kinds of feelings that happen at night. For example, “New Rochelle” is about taking mushrooms and getting stuck in a car somewhere—something that could definitely happen at night. Versus “Champagne,” which is about waking up next to someone—it’s sweeter, more romantic.
I wanted Night to feel tied to that time of day. That was really it—a simple concept. I didn’t want to overthink it or get overly granular. Just a natural contrast to Morning.
JS: And was there much of a gap between The Hours: Morning and The Hours: Night? I know you were songwriting and working with new musicians. Talk about that timeline—making Morning and then moving into Night.
CC: I started the whole project about a year and a half ago. I’ve written around 60 songs total, so it’s been a real process—more of an exploration. Some songs were made a year ago, others four or five years ago. I’d revisit them and think, “Yeah, this could fit here.”
It was about exploring all my music and seeing how it fit together. Conceptually, it’s 24 songs for 24 hours of the day. It’s like what you eat for breakfast versus what you eat for dinner — the moods change with time.
I wanted it to feel intentional but not overly conceptual. Like, this is what 9 p.m. sounds like to me — maybe it doesn’t sound that way to you, but that’s the idea. Turning something subjective into a kind of objective decision.
People always talk about having a muse, but I wanted to flip that. You’re nobody’s muse — you’re more significant than that
JS: Let’s talk about the first single, “Faded Blue.” What went into that track, and how did it end up assigned to 11 p.m.?
CC: I made that song four or five years ago. When I found it again, it just felt like nighttime — like party time, but not super late. It has that peak-time energy.
I love going out and dancing, but I hate songs that force you to dance. I wanted it to feel motivating without being pushy. “Faded Blue” felt nostalgic, dancy — like a late cookout. So 11 p.m. made perfect sense.
JS: When you’re writing for other artists and producing, how do you decide, “I’m keeping this one for myself”?
CC: Usually I know early on. If it feels right for me, I keep it. But if someone really wants it and it suits them, I might let it go. It’s happened — I’ll write a scratch vocal, someone else cuts it, and it comes out. It just depends on the situation.
JS: This collection spans years of music. What about the visual component — how do you decide visuals for something like “Faded Blue”?
CC: The blue color was perfect — moonlight, that dreamy nighttime feeling. It contrasted nicely with the bright yellow-orange of Morning. I liked how the visuals balanced each other, kind of like how vinyl artwork would complement each other on a shelf.
JS: “Art Museum” gets your 2 a.m. slot. Describe the ideas behind that one.
CC: That’s getting into witching hour territory — maybe you’re thinking about someone, maybe you’re alone. It’s very referential and nostalgic. It’s about differentiating between lust and infatuation.
People always talk about having a muse, but I wanted to flip that. You’re nobody’s muse — you’re more significant than that. It’s a longing that’s deeper than infatuation. It’s about realizing a connection that outlasts fleeting inspiration.
JS: What about other inspirations — films, musicians, current events? You’re based in Brooklyn, right?
CC: Yeah, usually. I’m inspired by a lot — mostly film, but also painting. I got really into painting during this project. That’s where some of the “Art Museum” ideas came from.
Painting made me think about the idea of a muse differently. It always felt a little patronizing to me. Like, what’s better: being the muse or being the artist? How can two words be so opposite but still work together?
Clubbing was another inspiration — songs like “Deep End” or “Faint Blue” have that clubby funk energy. Not EDM — more like Berlin tech house or indie funk. I like that balance.
And working with Raphael Saadiq was huge. He’s an incredible producer. That song was all about capturing that early-night excitement — that first moment when you walk into a house party and feel the energy shift.
JS: The Raphael Saadiq collaboration — that’s epic. How did it come together?
CC: He’s amazing. I think he was a fan of my earlier album Karpeh, which was about my family and lineage. We connected through that and started working together.
We wrote a bunch over a couple of days, and then Q-Tip got on the track too. He doesn’t do a lot of features, so that was really special. It all came together seamlessly.
JS: Who else did you collaborate with on the album?
CC: That was the main one. But I also worked with Heavy Mellow on bass for “Deep End,” and my friend Jacob Portrait — he’s in Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Those were the main collaborators.
JS: How’s the mini-tour been?
CC: It was great. We finished about a week ago. Everything was super well-attended. People were excited, singing “Art Museum” back to me. That’s the best feeling.
JS: What do you hope fans take away from the album?
CC: I just hope they have fun. I want them to think, “This is a banger.” I loved making these records — “Shoulders,” “Deep End,” “Art Museum,” “Alchemy.” They’re detailed but easy to listen to. I hope people catch the little moments that make them unique.
JS: And we’ll leave it on this — “Flip a Coin for I Am.” What’s that one about, and how did it land at 4 a.m.?
CC: That’s deep into the witching hour — anything can happen. It’s about decision-making between you and someone else: are you staying, are you leaving? You can’t decide, so you flip a coin. It’s about trusting your gut in those moments.
Photo (Top): Travys Owen
Follow Cautious Clay on Instagram at @cautiousxclay and cautiousclay.com
