Kameron Marlowe builds a world of unhappy songs, characters, and tales on his third studio album, ‘Unhappy Track for the Soul.’ Drawing on nation, blues, soul, and folks traditions, the North Carolinian singer/songwriter invitations listeners to tug up a chair, pour a glass of whiskey, and be a part of within the reverie.
‘Unhappy Songs for the Soul’ – Kameron Marlowe
Country singer Kameron Marlowe’s Unhappy Songs for the Soul looks like a spot to put his hat.
Launched on February 21st and produced by Ben West, that is the 27-year-old’s third report with Sony Music Nashville. Listening to the album, one can’t assist however hear an individual sensible past his years, with a voice that remembers Chris Stapleton, Ryan Beaver, and a younger John Legend.
Hailing from Kannapolis, North Carolina, Marlowe bought his begin singing in church and joined a band in highschool. In 2018, a expertise scout discovered certainly one of Marlowe’s songs on YouTube and bought him an audition on The Voice. It led to him transferring to Nashville and independently releasing his critically and commercially acclaimed debut single, “Giving You Up.”
Quick-forwarding six years, Unhappy Songs for the Soul follows Marlowe’s 2024 sophomore album Keepin’ the Lights On, and options songs like “Burning Home,” “Howdy Whiskey,” and the moment spotlight, “Right here Lies the Idiot.”
“Right here Lies the Idiot” is among the greatest nation songs this author has heard in a very long time. Lyrically it’s intelligent, amd musically it’s a constellation of people, nation, and blues, with every fading out and in because the story calls for. Written by Marlowe, Laci Kaye Sales space, and producer Ben West, “Right here Lies the Idiot” is the standout tune on the ten-track report – a group of introspective, self-aware, and infrequently darkish songs pulled straight from ideas and reminiscences that solely rear their ugly heads at 2 AM.
When the empty whiskey bitter’s
turn out to be withered graveyard flowers
When buzzin’ neon lights
break the silent midnight rule
A reminiscence I can’t let go,
the final phrases she stated, they echo
I made this mattress
This barstool was a gravestone
Right here lies the idiot
After listening to Unhappy Songs For the Soul it’s possible you’ll be below the impression that Marlowe spends his days alone and his nights in darkish bars.
This couldn’t be farther from the reality, in his personal phrases, “issues couldn’t be higher!” He’s presently on tour, gearing up for this album’s launch and just lately turned engaged. Oh, and he has a rescue canine, Scooby!
Marlowe sat down with Atwood Journal on a gray and moist February afternoon in Nashville. We talked concerning the making of the report, the fantastic thing about unhappy songs, and what’s subsequent for him.
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:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
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“Right here Lies the Idiot” – Kameron Marlowe
A CONVERSATION WITH KAMERON MARLOWE
Atwood Journal: Unhappy Songs For the Soul is a departure out of your normal sound and elegance. Are you able to speak about what impressed the sound?
Kameron Marlowe: This report was a ardour venture for me. I get very bored in a short time, and if I begin doing the identical factor for too lengthy, I’ve to change it up or I’ll simply dig myself a gap. In order that’s form of what this venture was. I simply wanted to be inventive once more, be contemporary in my creativity, and form of carry this new sound to life that has been in my head and what I’ve been desirous to do.
I began this complete venture off with a tune referred to as “Freeway Track” that I wrote on my own. It’s a narrative about someone that’s simply going by way of it, actually digging themselves a gap, actually difficult themselves and the sensation just like the world has bought them down. This complete venture is basically the diary of that man.
Was that the primary tune you wrote for the report?
Kameron Marlowe: That was the primary tune I wrote for the venture but additionally, I might say “Burning Home” was the second concept I had for the venture. I didn’t know if this was going to be like a 4 tune, two tune or 15 tune form of factor, I simply was like, ‘man, if I might ever put that tune out and like, put it on a venture, I don’t know the place it might reside, nevertheless it discovered its house on this.
[“Burning House” is a song by the singer/songwriter Cam from her album Untamed]
What was behind deciding to cowl that tune by Cam?
Kameron Marlowe: I believe that is among the most lovely songs written.
One factor I like about that tune is simply how visible her writing is, and I believe that’s actually particular. That’s how I attempt to push myself to jot down. I attempt to see music movies after I write. Like what would I see on the counter or what would I see in a distinct room if I used to be within the music video. That has at all times been like my thoughts set in direction of writing. and I really feel like she nailed that and hit that out of the park with that tune.
I had a dream a few burning home
You have been caught inside
I couldn’t get you out
I lay beside you and pulled you shut
And the 2 of us went up in smoke
I discovered your report very visible. A few the tracks actually stand out “How’s the Leaving Going” and “Right here Lies the Idiot.” I do know you co-wrote the previous with Laci Kaye Sales space and Ben West, your producer, who by the way in which I like. Laci’s report final 12 months was good.
Kameron Marlowe: Laci is so gifted. It makes me sick how gifted she is. She’s such a celebrity and she or he has no concept how huge of a celebrity she is, and I adore it!
When it comes to sound, you stated it was in your head for some time. Is there any inspiration you draw from? Different artists or books or movies?
Kameron Marlowe: Truthfully the sound of the venture got here from the room we recorded in. It was really an outdated feed and seed retailer that this man had purchased and transformed right into a studio. It sounded so hole and so lonely in there, and it was like the proper place to report unhappy songs. It simply had the mojo.
It’s mainly a storefront on this city referred to as Gallatin, Tennessee, and on the finish of the report, you possibly can form of hear rain and all that?
All that we did was… should you hear carefully, you possibly can hear the rain all through the entire observe, however we had a mic and we simply opened the door to the room and simply minimize the tune, and it was raining that evening. It was actually cool, actually inventive to get on the market and report that means. It was the proper, good place to report.
Did you report with a reside band or was it you and your producer taking part in completely different devices?
Kameron Marlowe: No, that’s precisely how we did it. We performed all of it reside collectively. We had huge room mics arrange, like 5-foot, 10-foot, 20-foot away to only seize the nuances of the room. That means it had this full, constant sound. I needed it to really feel prefer it was recorded it one place with the identical group of individuals.
I nerd out over these items so I can speak about these items all day. [laughs]
Kameron Marlowe: I believe we did three days of recording. The ultimate takes are just about the final time we performed it by way of. We might play it down, make some adjustments, play it down once more, after which as soon as we felt like we bought the magical mixture we determined to roll with that after which we might hit report one final time, play it by way of, after which combine it from there.
Sounds such as you have been concerned from starting to finish, together with the blending and mastering?
Kameron Marlowe: Sure. I’m in all probability means too concerned, however I like producing. I like simply entering into the music. That’s why I believe I wanted this venture a lot, as a result of I wanted one thing to latch onto that I might absolutely really feel like was from me, and this venture embodies that.
On the one hand the album feels like nation music 40-50 years in the past, however on the similar time, it’s very up to date.
Kameron Marlowe: I respect that.
It’s a really unhappy report.
Kameron Marlowe: It’s so unhappy. [laughs]
And really darkish. You examine a barstool to a gravestone, and an empty whiskey bottle to graveyard flowers. I like a very good unhappy tune, so the report is unquestionably for me. You’re fairly glad although, issues are going nicely for you, so the place does the disappointment come from?
Kameron Marlowe: Issues couldn’t be higher. That’s the wildest half about this *laughing*.
I really feel like for me, I’ve at all times been… I don’t know. Joyful songs don’t give me the identical feeling that I can get from a tragic tune. I really feel like I can connect myself to unhappy songs. I really feel like I might really feel extra emotion out of them. That’s why I have a tendency to jot down darker songs as a result of I need to really feel the emotion. Even in the way in which I sing, I attempt to emote and like actually make the listener really feel like they’re listening to that individual’s life by way of the tune.
Do you have got a favorite off the report?
Kameron Marlowe: I must say, “If You Keep.” What’s bizarre about that tune is I really feel like it’s the happiest sounding tune, nevertheless it really… like should you actually take note of the phrases, it’s this man begging and pleading with this woman and saying something that he presumably can to get her to remain and to not depart him.
It’s tremendous unhappy should you hearken to the phrases and actually dig into it, and I believe that’s form of a gorgeous factor that we did the place form of made it really feel a bit bit extra, like glad after which the which means is a bit darker. It’s undoubtedly the darkest one on the report for positive.
Going again to the start, you grew up in North Carolina, you went to school, needed to drop out to care for your mum, after which ended up on The Voice in 2018. Did your upbringing level to a profession in music?
Kameron Marlowe: I didn’t know I used to be going to get into music. Music wasn’t on my radar. I liked taking part in in small bars and pubs round city, nevertheless it was by no means… I believe, actually, it began after I went on The Voice and I realised, ‘dang, these folks really do that for a dwelling.’
As soon as I bought a style of doing music on daily basis, I used to be like, ‘you recognize what?’ That is true, that is what fills me up, that is what provides me ardour to need to do every part.’ I don’t know. it’s like, I can’t actually clarify how a lot music actually means to me.
As soon as I tasted that and I couldn’t even take into consideration doing anything, so I instantly began going to Nashville as a lot as I might, assembly as many individuals, discovered a bunch of associates and hit it up.
They stated they have been getting a home. We have been all, not gonna mislead you, we have been all a bit drunk, at a bar referred to as Pink Door in Nashville, and these two guys have been like, ‘hey man, we’re getting a home, are you’re you in?’ And I used to be like, ’yeah man, completely!’ Not considering they might ever name me once more, they usually ended up calling me like the 2 or three days later, and stated, ‘we discovered the home, right here’s what lease’s gonna be, are you in otherwise you out?’
And I needed to decide there after which if I needed to wager on myself and I took the wager, and I’m glad I did. I couldn’t think about not doing music. Despite the fact that it’s probably the most irritating enterprise I’ve ever been in my complete life, besides, I might not change a factor.
What’s subsequent for you?
Kameron Marlowe: I don’t understand how a lot I’m alleged to say about this, however I’ve bought loads of new music coming as nicely. It’s not going to be down the “unhappy songs” lane, it’s going to be again to common scheduled programme, with my normal sound, my model, so I’m very excited to see how this subsequent report shapes up. I can’t wait to get in and report it. I’m simply now getting the songs collectively. It by no means stops, however like I stated, I wouldn’t change it for nothing.
Would you ever return the sound from this report or was it extra of an experiment?
Kameron Marlowe: I believe I might.
The complete title of the report was really alleged to be, Unhappy Songs For the Soul Quantity 1: Heaven within the Bottle, so it was a brilliant lengthy title, and I used to be going to have Quantity 1, Quantity 2, Quantity 3 or no matter, simply relying on how folks appreciated it, however I’ve had some folks speak me down and say that title was too lengthy, however there’s in all probability going to be a Quantity 2 finally.
My final query is the art work for the report, very cool, actually inventive. It’s a damaging, isn’t it?
Kameron Marlowe: Thanks a lot.
Sure, that’s precisely what it’s. It form of got here from a dialog with me and my supervisor. I actually didn’t need to have my face on this venture, as a result of it’s not about me, it’s its personal factor, it’s its personal world, it wants to remain in its personal world.
I’m not going to mislead you, I like the color inexperienced, in order that color inexperienced on the album is my favorite color inexperienced, so we began there, and we had an artist form of draw up, like their ideas of every of the songs as we wanted art work for every of the singles.
They got here up with designs and we might ask them to alter issues and form of determine it out altogether, and it lastly got here collectively, and I used to be like, ‘I like these, however what are we going to do for the full-length cowl?’ I liked all the opposite ones a lot, I used to be like, ‘we’re simply going to place all of them collectively on the on the web page.’
Just like the report, the art work is up for interpretation.
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:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
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