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 drag 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 seems like a spot to put his hat.
Launched on February 21st and produced by Ben West, that is the 27-year-old’s third file 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 received his begin singing in church and joined a band in highschool. In 2018, a expertise scout discovered considered one of Marlowe’s songs on YouTube and received 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 folks, 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 track on the ten-track file – a set of introspective, self-aware, and sometimes darkish songs pulled straight from ideas and reminiscences that solely rear their ugly heads at 2 AM.
When the empty whiskey bitter’s
grow 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 mentioned, they echo
I made this mattress
This barstool was a gravestone
Right here lies the idiot
After listening to Unhappy Songs For the Soul chances are you’ll be underneath 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 at the moment on tour, gearing up for this album’s launch and just lately grew to become 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 file, 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 ordinary sound and magnificence. Are you able to speak about what impressed the sound?
Kameron Marlowe: This file was a ardour undertaking 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 undertaking was. I simply wanted to be inventive once more, be recent in my creativity, and form of convey this new sound to life that has been in my head and what I’ve been eager to do.
I began this entire undertaking off with a track referred to as “Freeway Track” that I wrote on my own. It’s a narrative about any person that’s simply going by means of it, actually digging themselves a gap, actually difficult themselves and the sensation just like the world has received them down. This entire undertaking is admittedly the diary of that man.
Was that the primary track you wrote for the file?
Kameron Marlowe: That was the primary track I wrote for the undertaking but in addition, I might say “Burning Home” was the second concept I had for the undertaking. I didn’t know if this was going to be like a 4 track, two track or 15 track form of factor, I simply was like, ‘man, if I may ever put that track out and like, put it on a undertaking, I don’t know the place it will stay, nevertheless it discovered its dwelling on this.
[“Burning House” is a song by the singer/songwriter Cam from her album Untamed]
What was behind deciding to cowl that track by Cam?
Kameron Marlowe: I feel that is among the most lovely songs written.
One factor I really like about that track is simply how visible her writing is, and I feel that’s actually particular. That’s how I attempt to push myself to put in writing. I attempt to see music movies once I write. Like what would I see on the counter or what would I see in a unique room if I used to be within the music video. That has all the time been like my thoughts set in the direction of writing. and I really feel like she nailed that and hit that out of the park with that track.
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 file 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 really like. Laci’s file final yr was good.
Kameron Marlowe: Laci is so proficient. It makes me sick how proficient she is. She’s such a celebrity and he or she has no concept how huge of a celebrity she is, and I find it irresistible!
When it comes to sound, you mentioned 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 undertaking 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 right place to file 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 file, you’ll be able to form of hear rain and all that?
All that we did was… should you hear intently, you’ll be able to hear the rain all through the entire observe, however we had a mic and we simply opened the door to the room and simply reduce the track, and it was raining that evening. It was actually cool, actually creative to get on the market and file that means. It was the right, good place to file.
Did you file with a stay 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 stay 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 feel we did three days of recording. The ultimate takes are just about the final time we performed it by means of. We might play it down, make some adjustments, play it down once more, after which as soon as we felt like we received the magical mixture we determined to roll with that after which we might hit file one final time, play it by means 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 really like producing. I really like simply entering into the music. That’s why I feel I wanted this undertaking a lot, as a result of I wanted one thing to latch onto that I may absolutely really feel like was from me, and this undertaking embodies that.
On the one hand the album seems like nation music 40-50 years in the past, however on the similar time, it’s very up to date.
Kameron Marlowe: I admire that.
It’s a really unhappy file.
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 really like unhappy track, so the file is unquestionably for me. You’re fairly blissful although, issues are going effectively for you, so the place does the unhappiness 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 all the time been… I don’t know. Comfortable songs don’t give me the identical feeling that I can get from a tragic track. I really feel like I can connect myself to unhappy songs. I really feel like I may really feel extra emotion out of them. That’s why I have a tendency to put in writing darker songs as a result of I wish 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 particular person’s life by means of the track.
Do you may have a favorite off the file?
Kameron Marlowe: I must say, “If You Keep.” What’s bizarre about that track is I really feel like it’s the happiest sounding track, nevertheless it really… like should you actually take note of the phrases, it’s this man begging and pleading with this lady 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 feel that’s form of a phenomenal factor that we did the place form of made it really feel somewhat bit extra, like blissful after which the that means is somewhat darker. It’s positively the darkest one on the file for positive.
Going again to the start, you grew up in North Carolina, you went to school, needed to drop out to handle 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 beloved taking part in in small bars and pubs round city, nevertheless it was by no means… I feel, actually, it began once I went on The Voice and I realised, ‘dang, these folks really do that for a dwelling.’
As soon as I received a style of doing music every single day, I used to be like, ‘you already know what?’ That is true, that is what fills me up, that is what provides me ardour to wish 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 the rest, so I instantly began going to Nashville as a lot as I may, assembly as many individuals, discovered a gaggle of associates and hit it up.
They mentioned they have been getting a home. We have been all, not gonna mislead you, we have been all somewhat drunk, at a bar referred to as Purple 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 pondering they’d ever name me once more, they usually ended up calling me like the 2 or three days later, and mentioned, ‘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 guess on myself and I took the guess, and I’m glad I did. I couldn’t think about not doing music. Though it’s essentially 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 received plenty of new music coming as effectively. It’s not going to be down the “unhappy songs” lane, it’s going to be again to common scheduled programme, with my ordinary sound, my model, so I’m very excited to see how this subsequent file shapes up. I can’t wait to get in and file it. I’m simply now getting the songs collectively. It by no means stops, however like I mentioned, I wouldn’t change it for nothing.
Would you ever return the sound from this file or was it extra of an experiment?
Kameron Marlowe: I feel I might.
The total title of the file was really alleged to be, Unhappy Songs For the Soul Quantity 1: Heaven within the Bottle, so it was an excellent lengthy title, and I used to be going to have Quantity 1, Quantity 2, Quantity 3 or no matter, simply relying on how folks favored 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 ultimately.
My final query is the paintings for the file, very cool, actually creative. It’s a unfavourable, 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 wish to have my face on this undertaking, 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 really 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 would have liked paintings for every of the singles.
They got here up with designs and we might ask them to vary issues and form of determine it out altogether, and it lastly got here collectively, and I used to be like, ‘I really like these, however what are we going to do for the full-length cowl?’ I beloved 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 file, the paintings is up for interpretation.
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