Rapid-fire Questions
1. Who would win in a fight? A Garfield sized Andrew Garfield, or Heathcliff the cat?
Heathcliff can be pretty devious. I think that he would win regardless of how big Andrew was.
2. Who is the cutest cat cartoon character?
Pusheen. (shout out Spencer Hall)
3. Can you do a Daniel Johnston cover?
Living in Richmond, a pretty present DIY/Tape-fanatic music scene, that guy is a god. Me doing a cover though I wouldn’t do the same justice Beach House did. Maybe if I did it I could do like a chill version of “King Kong” ? I used to think Tom Waits wrote that song (“Orphans”) until recently finding out he was covering it. Crazy.
4. If you ever meet Ray Romano, can you tell him that I love him?
You and everybody else?
5. What is the last thing that made you cry?
The most lighthearted response I could give to that is listening to a live version of Elvis singing “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” where he like breaks down laughing and crying in the spoken part of the bridge. I learned about it from Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast and every once in a while I listen to it and it is humanizing for sure.
6. What underrated band or artist should we listen to?
I could do an entire interview on just this question. Humeysha is doing important things and I think everyone needs to listen to him. One of the most refreshing sounds I’ve heard live and recorded.
7. Should I make a Tik Tok?
I have not touched that app. I already have enough distractions as it is.
8. What is the worst advice you can give to someone pursuing a musical career?
I mean pursuing a music career is bad enough advice but here we are. I think what is more important is to prioritize encouraging people to not stop playing music, or participating in any art, regardless of their career.
9. Which Kevin would you most likely be friends with? McAllister, Durant, or Federline?
McAllister for sure. I love Rube Goldbergs.
10. What is the last concert you went to?
I went to see Snarky Puppy (shout out Josh Coplon)
Born Loser Magazine: To start things off, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Cameron (Not Kevin): I am Cameron and I’m from Hampton Roads but live in Richmond while pursuing a degree of sorts. I just got back from living in New York for like 10 months though.
BL: When did you start putting out music?
Cameron: I’ve been putting out music since High School as my band Bonne Chere, but have only been releasing singles solo under the moniker ‘not kevin’ for only this past year.
BL: Are you currently in school?
Cameron: I am in school at VCU majoring in music. This helps when trying to balance music and school in a way because one is making an effort to inform the other but it does take a lot of time management. The hardest part is just not giving up from the stress and just succumbing to watching youtube and eating junk food. It’s difficult to be creative when you’re battling a daunting to-do list.
BL: Do you produce all of your own music, or is it more of a collaboration?
Cameron: I actually started my solo project so I could collaborate with people. I wanted a way to work with some of the artists I’ve met and really admired. So far everything has been performed, produced, and mixed by me minus a slew of features. (Shouts to Abby, Kaelan, Thomas, Mckenzie, Amora, and Marcus)
BL: Is there anything in particular that really motivated you to create music?
Cameron: My Dad is a singer-songwriter who would sing Irish Drinking songs to my sisters and I. My Uncle is a producer in New York and produces for my band now and got me into garageband on my families home computer when I was in middle school. I feel like that combined with being forced by my Mom to join band in High School because I didn’t have any friends and she wasn’t going to let me turn down “free lessons” made it hard for me not to want to be a part of music in some way.
BL: My favorite song of yours is ‘Clean’ can you give us a little background on that song?
Cameron: Clean is a song about meeting someone and feeling strongly enough towards them that you don’t really acknowledge what might be wrong about maybe you rushing into something. It’s just a back and forth between two people worried about something and then becoming overwhelmed.
BL: What musical artists have influenced you the most?
Cameron: Julian Casablancas has been a staple influence in my development since elementary school. Recently Blood Orange and Toro Y Moi have been flooring me with their albums production. I also listen to Dirty Projectors a lot to keep my musicality in check. That guy writes some beautifully crafted and current tracks. I could go on forever about this as well.
BL: What has been the highlight of you musical career so far?
Cameron: I opened for Glass Animals with my band a couple years ago to a sold out crowd. That was a surreal moment career-wise. Otherwise it’s the album I just finished. It’s my best work by far and has made any lul worth it.
BL: Have you gotten to play any shows so far?
Cameron: I’ve played one show solo opening for The Last Bison totally acoustic and that was super scary. I really have never played solo with my own music like that but it was honestly a dream of mine to perform on a big stage in my home town with just my guitar to bring on stage, no pedals, no vocal effects, and just sing my songs. (shouts to Ben)
BL: What has been the hardest part about pursuing music?
Cameron: The hardest part of pursuing music is my ego. Like not so much that I get a big one I just start getting really worried about like what it is I want to say or what kind of music I want to make or being good enough rather than just doing it. Bob Dylan said in an interview he could write a song anywhere, from the train to a busy dinner party. I want that energy.
BL: What are you currently working on?
Cameron: I’m producing a lot of tracks for other people. If you were teetering on whether or not to follow what I’m doing, for that reason alone I feel it would be a good investment of one's time because the songwriters I’m working with right now have such great music that I’m in their debt for letting me be a part of it. (shouts to Benet, Jason, Albert, Haley, Kaelan, and Adi)
BL: Is there any message, or feeling that you want to transmit to your music?
Cameron: I try to work through things with my music. I try to learn more about something or about myself through songwriting. I just want to be honest.
BL: What can we expect to see from you in the near future?
Cameron: More music for sure.
BL: To wrap things up, is there anything that you want our readers to know about you?
Cameron: I guess check out my music and let me know what you think? I have a new single I released recently and more on the way at some point I don’t know when!
