Mixing a great singing voice with brilliant dance beats, Kim Cameron & Side FX have stormed into Europe after success in America.
Today I was lucky enough to interview Kim for the award winning Blazing Minds entertainment website. Kim has been around the music scene for a while and is now on her 7th album entitled ‘No Regrets’. The new album has already spawned a couple of big hits in the Billboard Dance Charts in America, including two number one singles.
Recently Kim performed at the world famous Kentucky Derby and at a New York Giants game in the NFL. She is mutli-talented as you will find out in this interview, being a childrens author (like I am too).
In this interview we find out about Kim’s past, present and future. So readers, meet Kim Cameron;
You’ve really hit the big time with two number one singles on your new album No Regrets in the US Dance Chart, with Drive being a success in Europe too. How important is success in Europe to you?
“I think Europe is where all the hot new music is discovered, so if Europe is diggin’ my style….then I know I am in good company. I have traveled throughout Europe many times, but only performed once. One of my bucket list items is to perform in Scotland or Italy (I am half and half), so Europe is very important to me.”
You’ve described this album as being a collection of dance tracks and ‘dance groove’, can you tell us what ‘dance groove’ is?
“I wish I could take credit for ‘dance groove’ but really it stems back to the 1970s dance vibe. When people walked into a club back then, an amazing bass line automatically put a swing in your tush. Think back to Marvin Gaye hits that crushed and redefined ‘dance groove.’ I wanted to create a fresh ‘today’ sound with a late 1970s-like groove, so that if you wanted to dance, is was easy, but if you wanted to chill—that was easy too.”
This is your 7th album, do you think that this is the most successful time in your career so far?
“Music careers are like anything else…at a lot of work. But, at the end of the day, it is all about the music. If people don’t like what they hear—no matter if it was my first song or my 80th, it doesn’t matter. I feel very lucky that this album (I believe) has the right sound, at the right time. I also feel like this is my best work, and because of that, yes, I do feel like this is the most successful time in my career, but honestly, the ride has always had fun adventures and smaller successes along the way.”
What are you hoping for in the future? What would be classed as a major success for you?
“I would love to do a big tour in Europe. But a major success would be to see a crowd of folks singing my songs back to me in concert. I would probably start crying on stage, but all the hard work would be worth it at that point in time.”
Who do you class as your main influences in music?
“Who is not? I listen to everyone and really try to be influenced by them all. All songwriters have something to offer which is unique and I love exploring each and every one of them. I recently saw Milky Chance and loved their sound. Now, they did mostly songs in German…so the lyrics were a bit lost on me, but their overall sound was fantastic and fresh.”
What music do you enjoy listening to yourself?
“Depends on the time of day. If it’s early morning, I tend to turn on Ricky Kej’s Samsara or other new age / world music. If it’s a Friday night, well, The Weekend, ZEDD, Calvin – they all come out. If it’s the afternoon, I might turn on 10,000 Maniacs or Bruce or Peter G. And, in between, I also love the sweet sounds of country.”
Of course it’s not just you on these records, tell us about Side FX?
“Side FX is collection of musicians and producers who have created some great sounding records. They are the best of the best when it comes to percussion, keys and guitar. The band also is a lot like family with one common objective: to make the best music possible. All of the members are the most professional group I have ever worked with and I would not trade them for anything. They are also the kinds of guys that I can totally trust, and that is key.”
Blazing Minds is ran from North Wales in the UK, have you got any plans to tour the UK soon?
“I now have an agent in the UK, and I know he is pulling strings to make it happen.”
I hear you’ve started working with some European acts, in particular the UK’s Wideboys. Is this something you are hoping to do more of? And is it to help you get more exposure here?
“I actually wanted to work with the Wideboys because I heard some of their records. I learned later that they were a big deal (shame on me!). I always work with people that I feel are a good fit with my sound and vibe. Where they are located means very little to me. Again, it’s all about the music.”
If you could pick one track of your own to introduce your music to readers of Blazing Minds, which one would it be?
“What a super hard question, but these days, I am hooked on Carnival of Baggage (watch the video at the end of this article). It’s a very real song (lyrically speaking) and it’s got a killer ‘dance groove.’”
You’re a children’s author too, tell us how you got involved in that?
“I do love the kids! While on a Caribbean tour, I met a little girl who told me she had a fascination with octopi. I was pretty intrigued. My guitar player and I ended up writing a song that day called….Mr. Octopus. We had so much fun writing our first children’s song, he suggested to me that I write a story around the song. Well, sure enough, a couple months later, Seaper Powers, was born. I am now 4 books into the series, and plan on adding more. In between touring, I run to summer camps and schools, performing puppet shows as I read the books to 4, 5, 6 and 7 year olds.”
What is the next big thing for you?
“I hate to say it…but, I am building out this brand new studio. I am toying with adding another album to my collection……..(but please, don’t tell my agent yet)”
A huge thank you to Kim Cameron for the time taken during this interview. Everyone at Blazing Minds wishes you every success in the future, not that you need luck. For readers not aware of Kim’s music, let me present the song and video ‘Carnival of Baggage‘
Comedy writer with Steve Smith. Author of the book & Satire Website, ‘The Daily Skid – The best bits’ also Beat About the Bush
