FEATURE: Spotlight: KAMILLE

FEATURE:

 

 

Spotlight

  

KAMILLE

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LOOKING ahead to next year…

and the mighty queen KAMILLE is someone that is going to have her biggest year I predict. The moniker of the exceptional, hugely respected and absolutely brilliant songwriter, producer and record label owner, Camille Purcell, I can see her getting a big market in the U.S., tour dates there - and, who knows, awards coming her way. I hear there is an album coming from this songwriting titan. Maybe someone who is perhaps better known for penning songs for others. One of the best songwriters and producers around, she has given hits and millions of streams to others. A go-to genius, we are now seeing KAMILLE the solo artist emerge fully. This year has been one where she has released one of her most important singles. The tremendous weight loss is a single that uses the idea of the heroine losing weight when a toxic or wrong lover is no more. Rather than a break-up, this is weight loss. It is such a clever song from someone who is among the artists you need to watch into 2023. I might sound a bit full-on, but it is hard not to be besotted by KAMILLE. A goddess who is creating the sort of classic R&B that reminds me of the 1990s queens and icons (with a modern twist and kick), I really think her time is now. No doubt inspiring young women around the world with her powerful and hugely impressive music, the London talent is someone I admire. I am tipping her for massive success in 2023. I would love to interview her one day, as she is so compelling. To that end, there are a few interviews that I think are worth bringing in. Let’s get to know better the hugely inspirational and stunning KAMILLE.

The first interview, from VICE talks about KAMILLE being a fifth member of the girl group, Little Mix. associated with them for years, she wrote hits for the group. It is amazing to think of how she has managed to transform the careers of acts like Little Mix:

“After earning a Masters in Economics, she followed her true ambition as a songwriter in 2012, penning hits for chart toppers such as Dua Lipa, Mabel, Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit, Jax Jones and girlband Little Mix, with whom she won a BRIT Award in 2017 for UK number one single “Shout Out To My Ex”.

She’s racked up credits on four UK number one singles: Little Mix’s “Black Magic”, Jess Glynne’s “I’ll Be There”, Clean Bandit’s wanking anthem “Solo” and The Saturdays’ “What About Us” – her first ever cut. Kamille is also an artist in her own right, having released collaborations this year with UK crew Lotto Boyz and singles “Somebody” and “Love + Attention”.

Now, with Kamille taking a songwriting role on Little Mix’s sixth album Confetti, we jumped on a video call to chat about the formula for chart success, breaking America and being a Black woman working in music.

VICE: Initially, you had a very, very different career – you were a stockbroker. How did you go from that to making the first step into music?

Kamille: I got introduced to a guy who owned some studios, and I used to hang around after work and on weekends. I was eager to learn – I think that's what it takes initially when you're not sure how to change career path. Then one day I just said “bun this” and walked out of my job, started going to the studio even more, and that’s when I started writing. I had my first cut with The Saturdays on a track called “What About Us”, and it was a number one! So I had a very lucky break, but I’m telling you now, even if it didn’t happen like that, I would still be plugging away at it, because I love music so much. It’s demoralising at times – it can feel more like a popularity contest than about the music, so I get why people find it really hard – but you just can’t give up if you want something enough.

 You have an amazing track record: five number ones, numerous Top 10s, platinum sellers, awards. It seems like you know the hit-writing formula. What’s the magic ingredient?

One thing I’m proud of, and grateful for, is that I know I can go on a mic in front of anyone and sing some shit. And I know some of it will sound good. I can hear what melodies need to be there. And I think that’s really important with songs, knowing what needs to come on to that song, and where. I like finding weird melodies, I like finding catchy bits. It's almost like I have a punter’s ear. I can immediately know what a listener would like to hear on that beat and what's going to be easy for them to take in and sing and memorise. Like, a van driver – what is he going to want to hear that’s gonna be easy on the ear?

What’s the difference between working with pop artists versus working in the grime scene?

With grime and drill, you know it’s gonna be a bunch of guys there and you've got to be prepared to kind of hold your ground and not be shy. Every session is different, though, and my contribution – whether it’s vocals or lyrics or melodies – changes up depending on the day, the artist, the track. One thing I’ll say about grime artists and drill artists is that they just go on the mic and start rapping shit, and the whole song is there in like five minutes, which is just a vibe. So it’s much quicker, and it’s a really fun experience to be around that energy.

Within pop music you’re most closely associated with Little Mix – they call you their fifth member. Girl groups can be quite tight and cliquey; why do you think you’ve managed to infiltrate the group and form such a close relationship with them?

Over the years, we've built up a lot of trust. I think it comes from having success together. They’ve got to the point where they can trust that I'm gonna go in the studio and write something that's gonna reflect them. We know each other so well, I can literally just write something that they probably would have said. I try and build that with any artists I'm working with. I really like to have a relationship. Just being a friend to people I think is the most important thing”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Danika Magdalena 

I want to come to EUPHORIA. and an interview that talks about KAMILLE’s songwriting past. It also looks at her solo work and what her traditional day to day consists of. You can tell here is someone whose true passion is writing music that truly connects with people. Not only on a surface level: words and music that get into the heart and move the soul:

“Her 6.5 billion streamed catalogue is ever growing, and is one that has secured both a GRAMMY nomination and BRIT Award win along the way. A renowned songwriter in her own right, KAMILLE is now telling her own truth through her own music, her latest release “Learning” being the most vulnerable yet. Unable to get through the track without tears, “Learning” dissects anxieties driven by everyday social media. We sat down for a revitalizing chat about the evolution of the industry, KAMILLE’s upbringing in music and how breaking America is next up on the checklist.

Huge congratulations on the single! It’s quite a vulnerable, downtempo number – could you explain to us how this track evolved?

To be honest with you, I think most of us are suffering at some point in our lives from feeling down and anxious. And for me, it’s definitely driven by social media, because I would go on there and just compare myself and feel extremely low. “Learning” is a song to myself. I was suffering from bad insomnia-one of the worst symptoms of depression-and this one was basically a lullaby to myself, to help me to sleep. And just to tell myself “you’re beautiful” and “you’re amazing,” and that self-love is a journey. Writing this was definitely a form of therapy, I think I wrote it in about half an hour. It just spilt out. It had to be made for me to heal and I feel so much better for it.

How long does it usually take you to write a song?

If we go out for a good lunch, you probably get something out of me in about an hour. I wrote Little Mix’s “Shout Out to My Ex” in an hour too – I just love when I’m writing something empowering for women in particular, that’s always been my thing.

What can you tell us about the “Learning” music video?

The video shows me as the most vulnerable I’ve ever been. This song always makes me cry, and I couldn’t stop the tears falling during the shoot! I’ve been obsessed with Femi Ladi’s videos so it was a dream getting to work with him. His idea was to show me learning how to fly, and I think he executed it so beautifully.

Having written so many colossal hits, do you ever have high expectations for yourself when you step into the studio?

Definitely, I feel so scared a lot of the time. I’m potentially about to start working with Cardi B and I’m so shook. But one thing I know I can do is sing a melody, so I always hope that there’ll be a mic in the room and I can sing something.

We imagine that 90% of a studio session is just talking and then the final 10% is the writing element – what usually goes down in a studio session with KAMILLE?

Literally that! 4PM comes around and usually, we’re all in the room like, “Okay, we actually need to do some work.” That happened to me recently when I was writing for Zedd, but then you end up making incredible things as you’ve only got like an hour before you go.

You were originally a stockbroker before you had a foot in the music industry – how did this transition begin?

I hung around studios while I was at my job, so I wasn’t that I left and then went into music, it was kind of I was doing them both kind of concurrently and thinking to myself, I think I love music more than I love working in finance. And then one day, I literally just walked out with my job because it was really, really bad. My parents were like, “What the fuck are you doing?” but I just wanted to enjoy my life.

Before I left my job I’d written “What About Us” by The Saturdays, it wasn’t going to be for them but I just loved it and my manager at the time pitched the track to Polydor – the next thing I knew it was number one. It’s not always like that and I totally appreciate it, but I had a really easy transition into music. So I was really lucky in that sense.

Tell us a little bit about your label Pure Cut, how did the label start?

To be honest with you, it started more from the fact that I wanted to help other people, because I noticed when I was trying to be an artist that there weren’t many people that look like me. There weren’t many people being discovered organically and being found without having to have massive numbers on social media. I just wanted to find people that were really talented and help nurture them and write with them if they wanted me to.

I thought through the process of writing all these songs for all these amazing artists, I would actually find that I’d be A&R’ing like I did on the X Factor UK with Simon Cowell. I worked on the show for two years and I ended up writing “Sax” with Fleur East. I’d sit with labels and the A&R team and think about video and song concepts and all these things that, you know, labels do. I realized that I’m actually really good at this and that I like doing this to people. And that’s kind of what inspired my label idea.

Having had the big break that you did – what would you say the overall highlight of your success has been so far?

As a songwriter, my most memorable one was probably knocking myself off of number one on the chart. We went to number one with Jess Glynne’s “I’ll Be There” and a week later I was number one again with “Solo” by Clean Bandit. I remember thinking this is ridiculous as a black woman in music, I also think I’m probably the only person in the UK to do that. I will literally tell my child one day and annoy them with all the facts because bitch, I knocked myself off number one!

“Learning” is your first release of the year, but what’s on the horizon?

I think the key with my artist proposition right now is I’m just gonna be putting out so much consistent music. I want people to really hear what I have to say. The next song is on the way and I definitely think everyone’s gonna love it. It’s something you can move to and just feel really empowered again.

And what I really want to do now is try and break America. That’s my next goal. I’ve done so much over here in the UK and so much more to do in America. So I’m excited about that”.

There are a couple of other articles I want to come to before I round things off. Even if her solo career is in its earliest stages, I do think that KAMILLE will rank alongside the all-time greats. I say that because she is one of the songwriters of her generation. Gifted and supremely talent, who knows just what she will achieve next year! HUNGER interviewed an artist who, it seems, is incapable of writing anything that isn’t a solid gold banger:

“But while Kamille has been busy uplifting other musicians in the industry with her songwriting abilities, she’s also realized that it’s time to produce her own music. “Writing for other artists was a great way to learn more about the industry but a couple of years ago I thought ‘yeah, I’m ready now’. It was something I couldn’t stop thinking about and some songs I wrote felt just for me.”

She released her first single ‘Body’ ft. Avelino, followed by ‘Raindrops’, which was featured in her debut EP, ‘My Head’s a Mess’ in 2017. In both tracks, she expertly layered complex harmonies, with a rich, soulful bent to her trademark R&B style. This year has seen the sombre hit ‘Learning’, which promotes body positivity and hopes to inspire listeners to embrace their flaws, and now, Kamille has shared another empowering anthem, ‘Weight Loss’. “This song means so much to me and I’m so happy with the positive reception it’s been getting,” she says.

Kamille admits the song’s meaning was ambiguous initially, “I had this title ‘Weight Loss’ in my list of song titles for ages and I didn’t know what it meant yet. It was only when I got into the session that I was like okay, I know what this is about now,” reveals Kamille. She’s all about body positivity, and whilst the name of her latest track suggests getting in shape, the real meaning behind her empowering anthem is about that euphoric feeling you get from metaphorically getting rid of extra weight in the form of unnecessary toxicity from unhealthy relationships. “I really want to talk about the feeling you get when you’ve lost someone toxic from your life and you feel lighter like you’ve lost weight or excess baggage. It’s not about losing actual weight or going to the gym but more about losing the negativity in your life and feeling lighter, like you’re floating because of it. I love any music that’s empowering and uplifting”.

Kamille may be on everyone’s motivational music playlists at the moment but she has her own empowering playlist of her favourite musicians, including Flo, Fred Again.. and the queen of badass beats, Beyoncé. Her positive vibes soundtrack seems to be working as her professional success also translated into a happy home life after she married fellow musician, DJ Tazer, aka, Tomi Adenle in 2021. Their gorgeous wedding was featured on Channel 4’s Highlife series.

But although she is making a name for herself with her own tracks, she also has a passion for supporting aspiring talent as a record label holder. Kamille set up her label Pure Cut in 2019 after working on the X Factor as a vocal coach. “When I was working there, I saw these queues of people wanting to be given a chance to share their talent and that resonated with me. I knew then that I want to try and help people fulfil their dreams. It also felt like a natural progression for me.” From her time on the hit talent show, she picked up some nuggets of wisdom to benefit aspiring musicians, as well as herself. “One of the best things you can do as an artist is to be nice. One day you’re famous and one day you’re not. Especially nowadays when people can get cancelled so quickly, not being a good person can wreck your career. So, try to always be a good person and spread positivity”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rankin

A lot of love and hype that has come the way of KAMILLE this year is because of the sensational and hugely addictive weight loss. I heard it a few weeks ago and I have been hooked since. 1883 chatted with KAMILLE about a song that is about escaping a toxic relationship. These messages are delivered with strength and conviction. Not only is she inspiring other young artists, but her music will resonate with women who are caught in these kind of dangerous relationships:

“Hi KAMILLE, your new single weight loss is out now. It’s such a positive and uplifting song as it focuses on getting out of a toxic relationship and realising how you’re now better off. Can you tell us a bit about the writing process for it? Like when you wrote the lyrics, did you straight away know you wanted to use a drum and bass-tinged pop sound for the production?

I think it was a really organic thing. We weren’t even thinking about necessarily making Drum and Bass but when we were last producing it with Jon Shave from the invisible men, we use this little interesting percussive hook to start off writing the song and it just fell into Drum and Bass areas. So it’s so funny actually, no one’s asked me that yet so I haven’t actually thought about how it happened. It was just such an off-the-cuff kind of moment where we were like, “This sounds like Drum and Bass”, and I was like, “Yeah, I love that”. I’m obviously obsessed with drum and bass, I always have been and I love that that’s been able to be an influence in my new music, which is really exciting to me because I haven’t touched on it yet. It’s a really exciting moment.

As a well-respected songwriter that’s written some huge songs for many well-known acts, I know it’s been a tough but extremely rewarding journey for you as you’ve mentioned it was hard to make all these great songs that you put your heart and soul into but then labels would give them to other artists instead. Do you think being primarily a songwriter for other acts at first has given you more confidence and experience for when you started to release your own art? Do you feel things would have gone differently if you only worked on your artist career first?

Honestly, I would never want to do it any other way. I’m not gonna lie, it’s been tough. It’s been a real test of character because you have to become a really altruistic person to be able to give up something that’s really special to you. I have these moments where I would love to have certain songs have that success in my own artists’ career, but I’ve had to learn to give and I think that process has made me a better person. It’s made me much more generous and kind, the patience I’ve learned has been incredible for me and also to have faith in knowing I’ll have my time and I’ll have my moment. I actually think by doing it that way, I’ve gained so much experience, there are so many lessons I’ve learned and I have also gained amazing followers along the way because I feel like people come across me from writing songs for others and have championed me a little bit and supported me as a bit of an underdog. It’s meant that I have now got an incredible group of fans who I love so much, so I think it was definitely the right way to do it.

@kamilleofficial omg @bbcradio1 thank uuuuuu 😩😩😩🥹🥹🥹🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️ #newmusic ♬ weight loss - KAMILLE

Sure. I’m just curious thing for now. Like you said, it’s, yeah, it has been tough, but obviously, undoubtedly worth it, you know, your journey, how it’s been. Do things like do you think it would have been drastically different than potentially if let’s say you, you weren’t songwriting at the start for others and you were just focusing on your own career? Do you think things would be drastically different now or do you think would will keep in the same so far?

No, I think the scope of the industry is a lot different now. Black women are so supported now which is such an exciting thing for me to see and watch the growth in this country. I think now is definitely the perfect time, I’m not sure how it would have been a few years ago, but I can say that now I definitely feel a lot more confident to release music. I feel like not only am I supported by my black female peers, I’m supported by everyone and as a woman, that’s just an incredible feeling. I’m so excited about that. I love that for this country. I love it for us. I’m here for where music is right now in this industry and it’s a beautiful thing.

Definitely oh no I completely agree like compared. I’m so glad to say that I’ve been in the industry myself but just being whether it’s music fan or whatever and seeing the landscape change is it’s I would argue obviously getting better or more acts that deserve the limelight like yourself because you’ve always been an underdog in terms of, you know, like, the amazing content you’ve and music you’ve put out there and it feels like now’s your time to you know really be appreciated for the hard work you’ve put in.

I just don’t want to let anyone down. I’ve actually got an opportunity so I want to make sure I’m putting out the best music of my life. Weight Loss is definitely one of those moments where I’m getting to really speak from the heart, some of these lyrics and the emotions I’ve had and a lot of people experience. It’s nice to be able to share that and do it my way.

Your vocals on ‘weight loss’ are giving us life! They match the feeling of the song so well – is there anything special you do to get into the right headspace before you record?

Typically, I tend to delve back into the pain I felt. I know that sounds really negative and sad, but I have to be in a painful place when I sing a painful song, otherwise I sound a bit too happy and you won’t feel the pain in the vocals. I definitely tend to remember the times I do feel really sad, but I get through it by singing through it. It’s quite an emotional place to be, but it’s worth it because you get the real emotions of the song.

You recently told The Independent that you aren’t planning an album at the moment, opting to play with singles instead. When you’re working on a song or getting ready to release it, do you think about how it connects to your other releases or let it stand on its own?

I am on a thread at the moment with honest lyrics – I think that has connected very well with ‘Learning’ that I released earlier this year and now with ‘weight loss.’ I think that’s something that has found me and through the process of these two singles, it probably helped shape what the album will be, because everything needs to feel really really honest. Yeah, I am definitely working towards an album, and when the album comes, it will just feel like a string of all of these songs connected I think”

One of our greatest songwriters and artists, make sure you stream KAMILLE’s music and follow her on social media. She has had a wonderful year, and I think next year is going to be even greater. Such a brilliant all-round talent, I think 2023 is the year when she will…

CONQUER the U.S.

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Sam Liddicott