Collaborative dance project Camden Place have released their atmospheric debut single Will I Make It To Springtime out now via Beardfire Music.
Featuring Irish songwriter Seán Silke, independent production studio and label Beardfire Music, electronic producer Magician’s Assistant and singer-songwriter Grainne Hunt, Camden Place have created an eclectic sound that feels undeniably refreshing. Combining off-kilter beats with dreamy soundscapes and poignant lyricism, Will I Make It To Springtime is an intelligent electronic track that showcases each collaborator’s talents effortlessly. Talking about the single, Camden Place explain, “Will I make it to Springtime deals with our sense of mortality, whether as an individual facing death or as a wider community almost driven demented by anxiety. The melancholy beauty of the melody soothes while the lyrics strive for a hope we sometimes feel is slipping away.”
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Camden Place about the latest music, the challenges, the technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
(Seán Silke) While I love classic house music, the more tranquil mood of electronica is enjoying a new wave of success on streaming services thanks to the pandemic. We are all anxious and jittery and are in need of at least some soothing music. My producer, Rohan Healy, was in touch with a number of Irish DJs, both mainstream dance and electronica, and we were very pleased when Magician’s Assistant expressed interest in our demos and came aboard. His unusual style of arrangement gives texture and detail to what might otherwise seem rather ordinary pop or dance songs. And, of course, collaboration at a distance is incredibly feasible with today’s technology.
How long have you been creating and sharing your music with the public?
I have been creating music for many moons, uploading hundreds of demos to SoundCloud. I began recording professionally in 2018, releasing three albums in a variety of styles. I have been a dance music fan all my life and began collaborating seriously with a number of Dublin artists in 2018, notably DJ producer Chris Kabs on a 15-track album called “Unlucky in Love”. Last year, I began working in the dance genre with Rohan Healy of Beardfire Music, and under the name “Camden Place” we have a sequence of recordings ready for release. Our relationship with Magician’s Assistant is a real blessing and we are enjoying the more electronica vibe. “Will I make it to Springtime” is on current release and the follow up, “A life in photos”, is mixed and mastered. A third track, “I prefer it dark”, is being planned as we speak.
Who or what influences your playing and/or writing? Also, what motivates you to keep going?
When you are creative, productivity is very important. Without lots of song options, recording becomes problematic. Over time, I have developed the work habit of writing at least one song a week. It is this work ethic which keeps me going. If I didn’t have the habit of writing music every day, I would have dried up completely during Covid. As for influences, movies, continental tv crime thrillers and books provide the ideas which populate my lyrics. Anything that sparks an emotional response is something that may get the core of a new song under way.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
The goal of Camden Place is to create intelligent dance music, using a variety of collaborators. The quality of our lyrics is a big thing for us. “Will I make it to Springtime” deals with our feelings of mortality, especially during the pandemic. Our follow up song with Magician’s Assistant, “A life in photos”, talks about a woman in a prison cell looking at photographs of her long lost son and thinking about a life which escaped her. Being able to take material like this and work out imaginative musical arrangements is a terrific creative opportunity.
What was the last song you listened to?
“Elizabeth Street” by Gorgon City, a great single that somehow failed to make the charts.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I love my CD collection and also have quite a bit of vinyl from some years ago, especially a prized collection of 800 singles. But nowadays I mostly buy downloads, creating my own playlists.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I use Spotify for evaluating new music, selecting a few tracks from promising albums and listening while in the kitchen! Bandcamp is, of course, a great sales outlet for independent artists and I love the simplicity of the platform. 7Digital is my preferred download purchase site.
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what are one or two of the biggest challenges you face when trying to attract listeners to your music?
Getting attention is the big issue in modern music. Generating a lot of quality output is important, accompanied by solid social media activity and (if you can afford it) niche PR support. The trick is to survive financially whilst waiting for commercial success. Which explains why so many artists have day jobs.
Do you gig, tour or perform? Do you ever live stream? Where can music lovers see you live?
Camden Place is still in embryonic form so we aren’t thinking yet of live gigs. For the moment, we want to develop a sufficient number of top songs so that performing becomes a realistic move.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more of your music?
Check out Camden Place on Spotify. We aim to have five or six tracks on release by February/March. (Two of our more charts-oriented tracks have been picked up by a Swedish dance label, PR Records, so that is another promising avenue). For my earlier dance work, see www.unluckyinlove.ie.
Any last thoughts? Shout outs? Words of wisdom?
A music industry contact once told me: “It’s not all about talent. Reliability often beats creativity.” He pointed out that for every superstar songwriter, there are dozens of second rank writers and musicians who are hard workers, dependable, professional and have a great work ethic. These are the ones that last the course. A bit like the hare and the tortoise, in other words!! So I always say – don’t show me three songs, show me thirty or more.
