Interview With Cam M.
Art of all forms and mediums have always been important to young musician Cam M. Starting out as a creative writer and frequently dabbling in poetry, Cam quickly recognized her ability to conceptualize and compartmentalize the varieties in their art. His new single “dummy” released in late June, shares an array of poignant feelings and thoughts plucked right from our artist’s life. According to Cam, “dummy” is the first of many more singles to come and an album may even be in the works. In the meantime, Cam is committed to sharing their voice and vision with the world. While many young artists struggle to find authenticity in turbulent times, Cam embraces her tragedies, complexities, and vitalities with a distinct sound, grounded in a lyrical composition.
Q. You’re a very eclectic artist with an interest in film as well as music. Talk about how your variety of interests shape you as an artist?
A. I’ve always felt instinctively attracted towards various forms of art. Anything I write, whether it is in the format of a song, creative piece, script, etc. is immediately paired with some sort of visual in my head. I’ve always seen my music just as easily as I could hear it. I just experience and explain my emotions best through art and everything I create in response is entirely intuitive. Different feelings or conceptual ideas lead in different artistic directions, it’s all about what creative format I’m being drawn to in the moment. What would be the best emotional release right now? How big or small is this idea? And I go from there.
Q. Your latest single “dummy” features surrealistic techno-pop influences. How did you go about melding these genres?
A. dummy is actually the only song on the album with a beat I didn’t write alongside the producer. I came across the stems for the beat by IMPHERNO online, wrote the lyrics and melody, and did the vocal production and mastering myself. So on the vocal side of things, I aimed to give the vocals a bit of an accentuated electronic sound in production, and stuck with a dark-pop centric vocal melody. The techno aspect of the song comes through largely in the instrumental and vocal production technique, while the pop sound is carried significantly by the lead vocal melody.
Q. The video and lyrics for “dummy” give off major Melanie Martinez vibes. Is she an inspiration for you?
A. Absolutely. Melanie Martinez was one of the first alternative female artists I came across from a very young age and has played a significant role in my introduction to the world of “dark” and unconventional music, art, and femininity. She has most definitely been one of my biggest artistic inspirations throughout my creative journey.
Q. Who are some other artists, not just limited to musical, that serve as inspirations for you?
A. This is hard. I could name a plethora of people, each for a different reason. Some of them would include Joan Jett, Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Fiona Apple, Plasmatics, Smashing Pumpkins, and more recently artists such as Ethel Cain and Sega Bodega. I’ve also been majorly influenced by Tim Burton’s films and visuals alike since early childhood.
Q. Your lyrics for a variety of your songs are very piercing and are definitely a hook for listeners. What are some key components of your songwriting process?
A. Thank you! Honestly my songwriting is largely intuitive. I write based on emotional instinct, always starting with lyrics and vocal melody before I bring a song into the instrumental production phase. Lyrics kind of just flow out for me, based on however I’m feeling in the moment and I’ll only edit them once I’ve kind of stream-of-consciousness style dumped out a first draft. I think that instinct came from writing lots of creative writing pieces and poetry first, before I even got into songwriting. I’ve just learned to trust my creative instinct, which has somewhat manifested itself into a very go-with-the-flow kind of songwriting process, for lack of a better way to put it.