Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Christensen.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I recently moved here from Charleston, SC. Without going into too much detail about that, I was heavily involved in the music scene there before moving. However, it was a small market and that led to a lot of frustration in finding success within the scene there. I felt very limited and creatively suppressed by the support of the people within the scene. It is very cliquey and since it is a small market it did feel like, at times, I was being boxed out. I moved out to L.A. for a teaching job (I teach high school theater) with the intention of pretty much keeping music a hobby and foregoing the pursuit of making it even a side hustle. However, things happened in my life that led to a burst of inspiration in my songwriting.
That, coupled with crossing paths with some of the most amazing and supportive musicians I have ever met, created a renaissance in my songwriting. I have written close to thirty songs in the year and a half that I have been here. That’s approximately triple the amount I had written in my life up to that point and I am so much prouder of these songs than any that came before them. I am in the process of recording an album. The album is called “Whispers”. I hate to be reductive and label it a breakup album; it is. However, to me it’s more than that, in a way it’s a soliloquy. It’s all the things I had to work through for myself in order to be in the place that I am right now and that place is one of happiness, fulfillment, and belonging.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been. But, that’s a huge part of why I am here and why I have found success. Like, I said, my album is definitely a break – up album. I don’t need to go into too much detail, but in addition to moving out here for a teaching job, I did also move out here with my girlfriend at the time. It was the farthest I lived from home and I didn’t do the best job at building my own network when we were together. So, when our relationship ended, I felt unbelievably alone. My family was so far away and so were my closest friends. But, I channeled that loneliness and isolation into my music. Songwriting has always been my outlet – as it is for so many – but, because I was more alone than I had been in recent memory, I utilized the shit out of it. I really just dove into my music like I never had before and that resulted in me really finding my voice and having a very clear vision of exactly what direction I wanted to take these songs.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
I am a musician. My producer/collaborator/best friend Sergio Galinda aka Practical People has described my sound as “Psychedelic Math Folk”. Psychedelic describing the sound itself; we rely on a lot of elements that can be likened to that of psychedelic music. The math describes the rhythmic aspect of the sound. It’s very syncopated and incorporates rhythms that go beyond your standard 4/4 time signature. The folk part comes from the fact that all of my songs are first written on my acoustic guitar and as the song develops the other parts are built around that, so while there may not be acoustic guitar in the song at the end of production, it still has that folky feel that you get from an acoustic song.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think that outside of my sound, my work ethic is what is most important to my success. I am my own manager, promoter, agent, etc. and I do all of this while also working full time as a teacher. It’s difficult, but I think I’ve broken into the scene around L.A. very quickly and that’s a result of consistently building connections and booking shows and promoting whatever is happening with this project and staying on top of it.
Contact Info:
- Email: cameronchristensenmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cameronchristensenmusic/
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