Interview: Five Minutes with Cameron Sanderson
Singer-rapper Cameron Sanderson has recently shared a personal song titled ‘Grey’ with the world, about his previous relationship that soured. The track was released via Broken Thought Records. Sanderson started his musical journey on Youtube, singing covers of artists that he admired along the way. Today, he has over 15 million views on Youtube and 5 million streams on Spotify alone. Another noteworthy success of Sanderson was having eighteen of his singles played on BBC Introducing Essex, BBC Introducing London, and BBC Introducing Midlands. He cites musical influence from My Chemical Romance, Twenty One Pilots, Jon Bellion, Jeremy Zucker, Alec Benjamin, Lil Peep, Post Malone, Lauv, Blackbear, and John Mayer.
We find out the finer details about Cameron Sanderson in the exclusive below.
Set the tone for us. Why the arts?
My Grandad was a Pianist, My Dad was a Singer/Bassist, My cousin’s a professional violinist, my Mum arranged gigs back in the day… I’d been brought up with the sound of Kerrang coming out of the TV. The question is how could it not be the arts!
Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?
The idea mostly, I’ll come up with chord progressions and hooks in my head, and then play them into my iPhone for future reference… I must have over two-hundred ideas that I’ll probably never use.
Does your material feature any collaborations?
Grey doesn’t, but previous releases see people like Tony22, Faith Marie & Enkay47 take place on my work.
What’s on your current playlist?
Tony22 – ‘Earth Boy’, Alec Benjamin – ‘Six Feet Apart’, Lauv – ‘Billie’, All Time Low – ‘Monsters’, Don Toliver – ‘After Party’, My Chemical Romance – ‘The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You’ & more!
Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.
We like to party. Dance a lot and feel all the feels as one. I find myself crouching and staring right at them because I am there for them. And they’re there for me. And I love to be in the moment with them. Make them feel safe within my music and ensure one of the best nights they can possibly remember. Honestly cannot wait to rise to the top with them.
What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?
Vocal set-up… optimizing vocal sound on record is essential! Adding some personal touches such as altered voice… vocoders to give an organic synth vibe, noises made in my studio to give it space or intimacy depending on the vibe… and real feeling. Nothing translates more than an honest genuine emotion and message.
Take us through a day in the recording studio.
I’m usually in my feels so I sing about those feels, play about my feels. Simp some people online & get emotionally attached again about people I’ve never even met, talk to strangers and get inspired by their lives and the internet’s effects on that, considering that’s becoming one of the biggest influences in our lives at this point.
Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?
I’ve had a lot of specific moments where I’ve thought that, singing Linkin Park in my box room at the top of my lungs at 4… Playing my first pub show at twelve… Sitting in my room writing awful songs about that popular girl who I crushed on for a few weeks…
What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?
My Mum and a spare mic!
Any emerging artists on your radar?
My boy Tony22 gonna emerge hard real soon. We have a podcast coming out about our journey. Big ups Tony22.
What gets your creative juices flowing?
Everything. I struggle to not be constantly writing something or being inspired. Having ADHD means every thought creates two-hundred others in a matter of seconds… There’s too much life to not be inspired by something every second. Especially with a constant internet feed of people’s different lives, different stories… different perspectives.
Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.
My PRS Guitar, Ableton, Native Instruments, TRX Cymbals, my RODE microphones and my team who help me stay on the right creative path!
Any side projects you’re working on?
Me & Tony might release a little project… People seem to be liking our collabs, so why not give more right? I might release a quarantine project too… It’s consumed our day to day lives so much I feel like I can’t not write about that. Other plans too! Big plans!
How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?
I’ve cut out things and people that were taking me away from my work. Now it’s all good vibes. Inspiring friends. Hard workers. No mucking around anymore. We go in.
Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?
Lots of real, honest music. Telling my stories, telling your stories. A trip to LA to meet some old friends, write with people and meet Tony. Real growth as a person, as an artist, and as a musician.
Famous last words?
A great track by My Chemical Romance.
Follow Cameron Sanderson:
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify
