Kameron Marlowe builds a world of unhappy songs, characters, and tales on his third studio album, ‘Unhappy Music 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 appears 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 smart past his years, with a voice that remembers Chris Stapleton, Ryan Beaver, and a younger John Legend.
Hailing from Kannapolis, North Carolina, Marlowe obtained his begin singing in church and joined a band in highschool. In 2018, a expertise scout discovered one in every of Marlowe’s songs on YouTube and obtained him an audition on The Voice. It led to him shifting 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 music on the ten-track report – a group of introspective, self-aware, and infrequently darkish songs pulled straight from ideas and recollections that solely rear their ugly heads at 2 AM.
When the empty whiskey bitter’s
change into 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 you could 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 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 in regards to the making of the report, the great thing about unhappy songs, and what’s subsequent for him.
— —
:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
— —
“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 typical sound and elegance. Are you able to discuss what impressed the sound?
Kameron Marlowe: This report was a ardour challenge 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 type of what this challenge was. I simply wanted to be artistic once more, be contemporary in my creativity, and type of convey this new sound to life that has been in my head and what I’ve been eager to do.
I began this complete challenge off with a music known as “Freeway Music” that I wrote on my own. It’s a narrative about someone that’s simply going by it, actually digging themselves a gap, actually difficult themselves and the sensation just like the world has obtained them down. This complete challenge is de facto the diary of that man.
Was that the primary music you wrote for the report?
Kameron Marlowe: That was the primary music I wrote for the challenge but additionally, I’d say “Burning Home” was the second concept I had for the challenge. I didn’t know if this was going to be like a 4 music, two music or 15 music type of factor, I simply was like, ‘man, if I might ever put that music out and like, put it on a challenge, I don’t know the place it might stay, but it surely discovered its residence on this.
[“Burning House” is a song by the singer/songwriter Cam from her album Untamed]
What was behind deciding to cowl that music by Cam?
Kameron Marlowe: I believe that is among the most lovely songs written.
One factor I really like about that music is simply how visible her writing is, and I believe that’s actually particular. That’s how I attempt to push myself to write down. I attempt to see music movies once I write. Like what would I see on the counter or what would I see in a special room if I used to be within the music video. That has at all times 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 music.
I had a dream a couple of burning home
You had 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 best way I really like. Laci’s report final yr was sensible.
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 massive of a celebrity she is, and I like 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 challenge got here from the room we recorded in. It was truly 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 known as Gallatin, Tennessee, and on the finish of the report, you possibly can type of hear rain and all that?
All that we did was… should you pay attention intently, 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 reduce the music, and it was raining that night time. It was actually cool, actually creative to get on the market and report that manner. It was the proper, good place to report.
Did you report with a stay band or was it you and your producer enjoying totally different devices?
Kameron Marlowe: No, that’s precisely how we did it. We performed all of it stay collectively. We had massive room mics arrange, like 5-foot, 10-foot, 20-foot away to only seize the nuances of the room. That manner 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 discuss 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. We might play it down, make some modifications, play it down once more, after which as soon as we felt like we obtained the magical mixture we determined to roll with that after which we might hit report one final time, play it by, after which combine it from there.
Sounds such as you had been concerned from starting to finish, together with the blending and mastering?
Kameron Marlowe: Sure. I’m most likely manner too concerned, however I really like producing. I really like simply entering into the music. That’s why I believe I wanted this challenge 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 challenge embodies that.
On the one hand the album appears 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 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 really like a superb unhappy music, so the report is certainly for me. You’re fairly comfortable 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 at all times been… I don’t know. Comfortable songs don’t give me the identical feeling that I can get from a tragic music. 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 write down darker songs as a result of I wish to really feel the emotion. Even in the best way 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 the music.
Do you’ve gotten a favorite off the report?
Kameron Marlowe: I must say, “If You Keep.” What’s bizarre about that music is I really feel like it’s the happiest sounding music, but it surely truly… 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 go away him.
It’s tremendous unhappy should you take heed to the phrases and actually dig into it, and I believe that’s type of a phenomenal factor that we did the place type of made it really feel a bit of bit extra, like comfortable after which the which means is a bit of darker. It’s positively 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 maintain 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 enjoying in small bars and pubs round city, but it surely was by no means… I believe, actually, it began once I went on The Voice and I realised, ‘dang, these folks truly do that for a residing.’
As soon as I obtained a style of doing music daily, I used to be like, ‘ what?’ That is true, that is what fills me up, that is what offers me ardour to wish to do all the things.’ 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 gaggle of pals and hit it up.
They stated they had been getting a home. We had been all, not gonna misinform you, we had been all a bit of drunk, at a bar known as Pink Door in Nashville, and these two guys had 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 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 hire’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. Although it’s probably the most irritating enterprise I’ve ever been in my total life, besides, I’d not change a factor.
What’s subsequent for you?
Kameron Marlowe: I don’t understand how a lot I’m purported to say about this, however I’ve obtained a number 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 typical sound, my fashion, 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’d.
The complete title of the report was truly purported 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 preferred it, however I’ve had some folks speak me down and say that title was too lengthy, however there’s most likely going to be a Quantity 2 ultimately.
My final query is the art work for the report, very cool, actually creative. It’s a unfavorable, isn’t it?
Kameron Marlowe: Thanks a lot.
Sure, that’s precisely what it’s. It type of got here from a dialog with me and my supervisor. I actually didn’t wish to have my face on this challenge, 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 misinform 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 type 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’d ask them to vary issues and type 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 report, the art work is up for interpretation.
— —
:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
— —
— — — —
Hook up with Kameron Marlowe on
Fb, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
Uncover new music on Atwood Journal
© Ben Dartnell
:: Stream Kameron Marlowe ::
