Local Musician Spotlight: Carolina Clay
- Samantha Hill
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Heather Foster, local musician based in Mocksville, NC, performs across North Carolina sharing her love for music and songwriting. After quitting her full-time job in November 2025, she has been creating new music and supporting her community, including Iredell County.
Foster has been performing since the age of nine. “I have been writing songs since I have been able to pick up a guitar," shared Foster. She attended school in Rowan County, studying music, to then become a teacher at her local public school in Davie County.
“Being a teacher, it was hard putting yourself out there,” said Foster. “Now, focusing on music full-time, you have to wake up every morning and learn how to manage yourself.” She shares some of the things that she does outside of songwriting and performing, including making connections, booking her shows and marketing herself.
Mocksville, located in Davie County, with the population of about 5,000, Foster shares her love for music and support for her small town. “Being from a small town and making a name for myself in a small town has really helped me,” said Foster. She speaks about how she has performed at the Mocksville amphitheater for their summer concert series opening for Clay Walker. “I couldn’t have done it without being from a small town and those within the community.”
From a recent music video, “Crash Out,” Foster highlights local Mocksville businesses within her video. “I tried to work with Mocksville and local businesses,” added Foster.
While Foster’s is based in Mocksville, she incorporates bits and pieces of North Carolina throughout her music. “Everything I do and everything about me comes from North Carolina,” shared Foster. “It is the roots of where I came from and where I perform at. It is all about being from North Carolina and supporting the local communities there.”
One of her singles, “If Mama Tries,” features Oak Island and Brunswick beaches where her family would vacation within her music video. Her newest single, “Wilkes County Woman,” has an upcoming music video featuring the North Wilkesboro Speedway.
Incorporating North Carolina into her music, Foster adds more of her personal touch by writing her own songs. Taking inspiration from Johnny Cash and Morgan Wade, Foster has found her own style through her music. “I really like to write about my own experiences,” she said. “When I quit my job last year, I was going through a breakup and my dad was going through open heart surgery. I needed to lean into my art. I had a lot going on and a lot of thoughts that I needed to get out.”
Foster shares some of her struggles about committing herself to her music full-time. “When I quit teaching, I felt like my community turned around and looked at me,” said Foster. “I was scared to release new music because I was being very vulnerable. When you’re from a small town, it is scary to share things about my mental health. After I released the music, the community reached out and showed their support.”
“The community has really accepted that and has been behind me,” shared Foster, speaking about representing the town of Mocksville and pursuing music. “It worked perfectly because I got that gig for Clay Walker on the last day of school. My music has bridged those gaps within the community.”
The future holds more for Carolina Clay, including new music and videos. Foster also has been working on songwriting, submitting her work to publishers and getting her songs out there. “Carolina Clay is my stage persona—an ongoing art project. I want it to succeed whether it is the song aspect or just making connections within the community,” said Foster.
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