Born and raised in rural Illinois, Clayton Shay launched his career as a member of the independent country band Blackjack Billy. The Nashville-based group formed in 2012 and released its debut single, "The Booze Cruise," early the following year. Although the song stalled at Number 46 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, "The Booze Cruise" became a hit in Canada, where it eventually went platinum. Get Some, the band's debut LP, was released in November 2013, followed by the Rebel Child EP and a steady string of standalone singles during the remainder of the decade. 2014's "Run," which featured appearances by Canadian artists Doc Walker and The Road Hammers, became the band's second Top 40 hit on the Canadian charts. While continuing to serve as Blackjack Billy's bass player and harmony vocalist, Shay also launched a concurrent solo career that showcased his songwriting. "Girl Like You," his first release as a solo artist, drew upon the intersecting influences of hard rock, modern pop, and country, while a follow-up single called "Signed, Another Man" merged pedal steel guitar and southern storytelling into a traditional-minded country ballad. Both songs were released in 2020.