Cameron Smith Is on a Rise and “Good Enough” Just May Be the Door

photo by Grade Solomon @castlesystems

Residing in Virginia, musician Cameron Smith, who operates under the alias “not kevin”, is a rising artist in the musical scene. He recently released his EP entitled Good Enough, and it is truly something else. A three-song masterpiece featuring the songs “Right Way”, “Benzedrine”, and “Model”, this body of work truly has the power to suck you in the second it comes on.

Fortunately enough, I got the opportunity to sit down and virtually interview him. Check it out below!

Alexandra Moody: So, what initially sparked the musical bug in you?

Cameron Smith: My dad played music, covers and Irish Drinking songs mostly but also wrote songs, my whole life. I started first on saxophone in middles school and then guitar so I could write songs and joined bands and jammed with friends through high school!

AM: What does the creative process look like when you sit down to write a song? What are things that strike your creative wires to write songs?

CS: Starting to write a song is usually just a line that someone says or that I come with randomly. Then I try to write some chords and melody to that idea. Sometimes visual art can really help with that or like music videos of artists I like but with the sound off. I really have been into ‘vibe’ lately

AM: Where do you get your inspiration from? Are there any artists you draw ideas from?

CS: In the last year plus I have been obsessed by Chaz Bear and Dev Hynes production styles as well. In the last few months I’ve been listening to a lot of Randy Newman and Tobias Jesso Jr. and am absolutely enamored by the arranging and really everything about Esperanza Spalding as well as Jacob Collier.

AM: I’ve noticed the songs on your new ep “Good Enough” all have very striking lines, especially the bass line, as well as other instruments being prominent, and it’s a selection of instruments you typically wouldn’t hear together on a track, the best example being in my favorite, Right Way. How do you bring them all together to sound so sensational?

CS: I really think that the instruments on this ep were chosen based on what I first had available moving into my new space. It was a challenge to just pick something up like an acoustic guitar or a synth and just ‘make it work’ and I think it helped keep me from having the songs sound too similar but still cohesive. As a producer for others, I like the idea of making surprising ideas feel like they belong.

AM: On the status of this whole outbreak ordeal, it helped or hurt your creative process?

CS: I think I’m just starting to get back into my creative flow since the pandemic. I was in New York when the state of emergency was called and it took some mental and physical adjusting back in Richmond before I could get back into studio mode. I think now I have been able to get into a flow and I’m appreciative of the extra time to work on some projects musical and otherwise.

AM: What’s the story behind these three songs in particular? Are there personal experiences that made them come to life?

CS: There’s not really a total overarching characteristic that links the meanings of the three songs other than self reflection but I feel that is a motif of a lot of my music. Really its just a compilation of music that I wrote and worked on reflecting on the past year and my experiences.

AM: So, the alias ‘not kevin’. What’s the story there?

CS: So when I played shows in other bands people would ask me my name and if I didn’t say “Cameron” loud enough, they thought I said Kevin. To which I would reply…

AM: What’s your big goal with your music for 2020?

CS: I just want to make music that I’m proud of. I try not to put much pressure on myself on my music other than to not put out anything I’m not proud of. Otherwise I’d just like to practice and perform better, maybe planning for shows would be cool! I haven’t played any as a full band ‘not kevin’ show yet!

AM: Do you have any advice for those wishing to get into music?

CS: Just do it! There’s no such thing as talent. Just work every day if you can, stay consistent and don’t give up. Everyone has something to contribute no matter your skill level as well. Get involved in any way you can if you’d really like to.

Link to Good Enough on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4TXkkNreneUbYvBJYzp8lf

Written by Alexandra Moody