You may recall that this Saturday’s bill at Weeksville has two performers. You’ve already heard from Valerie June. Now, let me introduce you to Kameron Corvet. Not familiar? His bio describes him this way: “Corvet’s mix of light rock and smooth soul combine the sweet sultry vocals of Maxwell, the literate class of Sting, and the undeniable flare of Prince.” And that’s not too far off. With a couple of days to go before his Weeksville performance, our email exchange will let you peek inside the head of this rising urban pop star.
When you listen to your debut Sayingthings these days, what strikes you most about who you were then as an artist?
My fearlessness. As an independent artist, I was determined to create an album that I felt represented what my musical ideas were. I was somewhat adjusting inside of the realm of sonic elements so, I wanted the album in its entirety to reflect both a digital and organic appreciation for music itself. From a lyrical perspective, I was going through certain memories from high school and college that I happened to think about in a more critical sense. Thinking about it in hindsight gave me some clarity on some previously murky issues and I wrote about them from my “new adult” perspective.
Has anything surprised you about the way you’re evolving–both as a singer, a songwriter, and bandleader?
I think I’m surprised these days by how simple I can actually make a song. In the past I was caught up in the anti “dumbing down” thing and what I realize now is, a craftsman can make art that everyone can attach themselves to. I find myself stepping away from the guitar more and more from a band perspective and focusing more on being a true frontman.
What do you think the impact on you has been of coming into your own in the Atlanta music scene versus, say, New York or LA?
Excellent question. I used to think being in Atlanta was a handicap because the scene here is fluctuates so much. It’s a lot more watered down than when I first arrived which can have someone who wants more say “I have to move”. I would be lying if I said that I hadn’t entertained the thought a million times. Coming from an “urban” perspective, one would think we’d have the whole thing down pat down here and a visitor would find any variety of music from a person of color. Not true. In fact, Atlanta has been one of the most segregated markets from a genre sense as well as a venue sense. Genre has begun to dictate ethnicity and “race”(as most people’s definitions go) in Atlanta. The overwhelming positive element I would say has been the fact that no matter where I go, I come back and feel like I haven’t done all that much. That keeps me hungry and because the industry of radio drives a lot in that neck of the woods, someone who isn’t status quo, HAS to be confident that what they’re doing is right. Your love for the art really gets tested because one minute you may have an enormous buzz, the next minute, people are using the radio and MTV as a barometer for new talent and you just might not fit the bill.
Besides this Weeksville performance, what’s next for you?
I’ve been working on a lot more production from a TV scoring standpoint. Today’s market definitely pays attention to the diversified artist. So, I’ve been acting and producing along with everything else. I’ve most recently done some records with Slum Village, scoring and getting as many ideas out there as possible. Look for some really groundbreaking things to happen this year. Stay tuned and people can definitely hit me up on all of the social networking platforms.
Additional links:
- Kameron Corvet official site
- Weeksville Garden Party–July 10
