SPOTLIGHT: Cat Clyde's Grounding Rituals on the Road [ESSAY]

Editor's Note: Cat Clyde, whose new LP Mud Blood Bone came out March 13 via Concord, is No Depression's Spotlight Artist for March 2026. Read her feature profile here and watch an exclusive, acoustic video of one of her new songs here.

As someone who is on the move a lot, it can feel strange to move from one realm to another all the time. There are cycles big and small to navigate daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. I wear many hats and dwell in many forms: Some I enjoy more than others, but all need tending to. 

When I am touring, it is especially important for me to create and maintain rituals that help me to stay grounded and connected to myself and my energy. The time when I wake up and begin my day, and the time when I wind down and prepare for rest and sleep are the most sacred. Sometimes I fall off my rituals, but when I do, it’s usually a clue that my rituals need refining, or my attitude towards them needs realigning. 

I have been experimenting with creating different rituals for some time. Each has served me at different points in my life, and in writing this, I have reflected that many come back around to me in new forms and ways that continue to ground me and remind me of myself, who I am, and who I want to be.