Before Thanksgiving I had a chance to chat with up and coming talented songstress Camille Rae. After playing a bunch of shows, tons of youtube videos, and hitting her kickstarter goal, Camille has definitely put in the work and is now ready to give Nashville a taste of her brand of country music, containing accents of soul, blues, and even hints of pop and opera!DA: Camille, you have the perfect country twang! Are you originally from Nashville?
CR: Thank you! I’m originally from a small town in central Kentucky by the name of Mount Vernon, and I’ve been in Nashville a little over a year now!
DA: Great! Well now that you’ve been in Nashville for some time, I’m sure you’ve been inserting yourself into the local scene and what not, what are some of your favorite things to do here?
CR: One of my favorite things to do is going to all of the open mics and meeting new artists! I recently hit a kickstarter goal of $5,000 for my album, so I like to help guide the new artists I meet with advice that I’ve learned because I know how hard it is. Mostly I like to stay home and read books though!
DA: For someone who likes staying in you definitely know how to switch it into star mode on stage! It also speaks volumes for you to help others in such a competitive industry. What is your passion?
CR: Oh I’m most comfortable on stage, and that’s where my passion comes out as well. I love singing my songs and writing them to inspire people. I try to write songs that reach deeper into the soul and talk about things that people don’t say out loud, while still trying to leave it as an open book for my listeners to insert their own thoughts and experiences.
DA: I really like that and I can definitely hear it in your music. You have a record called “Get Outta Town” and it was very emotional and direct, I liked it! Who would you say has inspired your sound?
CR: Well I love country music, and I’m also classically trained in the arts of opera and broadway while always loving to venture in pop or R&B. Those genres have inspired my sound, but artists like Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and Kelly Clarkson are who I’ve listened to growing up. There’s also a great jazz artist by the name of Bessie Smith, an African-American lady in the roaring 20’s who wrote and sang about the things that everyone at the time shunned. She taught me to be bold in my songwriting, because it may not be what everybody likes to hear, but it may be what people need to hear.
DA: Wow; eloquently put Camille, thank you. How would you describe your music and how do you want it to come across?
CR: Hmmmm, that’s a really tough question to answer! I classify myself as country-pop, but it’s hard depending on which musicians I work with because the instrumentation changes the genre. My next album is country-pop, but you can find notes of the blues and r&b in my voice so I’m inclined to sometimes call it country-soul. Well when I’m singing live I’d like to be a room-stopper; because if you can stop a live bar in Nashville, then you know you’re doing something right! Everywhere else, I just want people to be able to relate to my music.
DA: Hashtag #roomstopper *laughs*, amazing stuff! Nowadays so many artists come in the game without a solid identity and let the industry shape them, however you know exactly who you are and I applaud that! Let’s say you are now able to make music with anybody ever; who would it be?
CR: There are so many talented artists, so many generations, but I’d have to say Kelly Clarkson. I love her story, her passion, and the fact that she has been and is still uncompromising in her beliefs no matter what. I’d love to do music with her because I believe our outlook on music is very similar.
DA: Hey Kelly Clarkson > Justin Guarini all day *laughs*! Now give me 1 song you’d play for people?
CR: It would have to be “I Need Me”, the album song. It’s slower, and that’s the room-stopper! I think it’s because everyone has something in their life that they can find in that song. I wrote that song as a turning point for my coming to Nashville, and taking a leap of faith. It inspires me when I sing it!
DA: I’m so glad to hear you’re inspiring people to take that leap of faith; the universe will always catch you! Well Camille last question, imagine that I give you a mic and this mic is plugged up to the entire world. What would you say?
CR: Well I’d sing because I want people to hear my music. It’s not for fame or fortune, it’s for you!
DA: Profound, like most of the things you’ve said Camille. You’re a talented professional, I thank you for your time and words, and we look forward to hearing more from Camille Rae!
For music, tour dates, and more info on Camille Rae, check out these links!
http://www.camillerae.com
http://www.facebook.com/camilleraemusic
http://www.youtube.com/camillerae539
No comments:
Post a Comment