We chatted with dark alt-pop artist Cam M. about her new single “Karma” which is described as being sassy and haunting. Check out our conversation below.

How excited are you to be releasing your new single, “Karma”?

I’m so hyped for this release. It’s one of my favorites, if not my favorite song on my upcoming album, and honestly, it’s the exact kind of “f*ck you” I needed. In my opinion, sometimes it can be healthy to live out your revenge fantasies. I can’t wait for people to feel as powerful as I did when “Karma” was played back to me in full for the first time.

When people listen to your music, what are you hoping they get out ofit?

A general theme in my music is not just fighting back against those who have hurt and more explicitly, manipulated me in my life, but an ode to my own individual power which I neglected for the majority of my past. When people listen to my music, I hope they can sense the individualistic strength I’m attempting to relay and walk away from just one song feeling as if they have come into themselves just a little bit more. 

How would you describe the sound of your music?

I think that in the past year I’ve begun to discover, create, and release music much closer to my desired sound. I would say my music lies currently within the dark pop/R&Bgenre but remains unconfined by that singular title. I like to explore experimental concepts within my music and create as I feel in my gut. My music is also often fairly sultry which is very purposeful. I actively attempt for most of my songs to have a sensual undertone as I would personally compare the strength of the emotions I’m expressing when writing, to the power of sex and intimacy.

Who would you say are some of your musical influences?

Some of the biggest musical influences in my life include Amy Winehouse, Melanie Martinez, Aurora, Nina Simone, SZA, Frank Ocean, Arctic Monkeys, etc. Not each artist’s sound has much resemblance to my own, but I can confirm that there are separate musical techniques and ideas I have gathered or been inspired by in reference to each of these artists. Melanie Martinez was likely the most influential artist of my entire childhood since not only did the unique quality of her image and music strike me unlike any other, but the intellectuality behind her lyrics made me want to write music more than any artist had before. I owe a great amount of my musical inspiration to her, and you can definitely hear her influence in the music I create today. 

Did you always know that music was something you wanted to pursue?

I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t singing or writing, but when I was younger, I had a lot of aspirations such as poetry, dance, rhythmic gymnastics, acting, etc. I kept myself very busy pursuing countless dreams starting around when I was five years old and finally honed in explicitly on music when I was about sixteen years old.

What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?

I would give aspiring musicians the same advice I would give to myself, persistence is key. As someone who has had my own personal challenges in life unrelated to music, I’ve found it hard in the past to stay focused and consistent when it came to my career. However, learning to prioritize the future I want over the things in life which I can’t control has helped me to grow past that feeling of wavering motivation.

What is your favorite song to perform live?

My favorite song to perform live is not my own, but it’s actually “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse. I became obsessed with singing that classic when I was around 12 or 13 and my dad introduced me to Amy. After that, I sung it at almost every gig and I’m still obsessed to this day.

Can you describe your creative process when you’re writing new music?

I don’t have one specific process when I write songs, sometimes the lyrics come to me first or bits of the melody do. Either way I usually have a feeling or metaphorical concept I want to work from and go from there. Often times, I’ll find a sample beat online and sing along to it until basic melody and lyrics just kind of flow out. Then I’ll completely alter the original lyrics once I have a base for the song and the melody as well, with a producer. The producer and I will build the instrumental together and I usually complete my melody in that time.

What has been the best advice someone has given you about music?

The most memorable advice I’ve ever gotten about music has actually been from my parents. I can’t really remember a specific quote which sticks out, they are just a constant reminder of what it means to work hard to achieve your goals and have definitely been passing those ideas of work ethic on to me. If I didn’t have that to look up to, I wouldn’t be doing what I am today.

Which musician would you like to collaborate with in the future? I’m 100% convinced I could make a cool ass song with Isaac Dunbar. I’m not even sure why. I love his music and sound as a whole, but it’s also just a feeling.

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