Cameron Bloomfield should be on your radar. The singer-songwriter got his big break by collaborating with Ghetts on the star’s well-received ‘Rebel With A Cause’ album. He followed up on that success with debut EP ‘The Night Before’ in 2017. After that, Bloomfield took a quick break before returning to music with his ballad ‘Lazarus’, which dropped on August 9th. ‘Lazarus’ is a coming-of-age single that represents a new chapter in Bloomfield’s career.
I sat down with Cameron Bloomfield to chat about the origins of ‘Lazarus’, his favorite artists, and more.
Responses have been edited for clarity.
Mia Vittimberga: Can you quickly introduce yourself for the people who aren’t familiar with you?
Cameron Bloomfield: I’m Cameron Bloomfield. An artist from London making vaguely soulful sounds. I also struggle to big myself up so make of that what you will!
When and why did you begin creating music?
That was from day one. I’ve been singing and playing for as long as I can remember. I remember I couldn’t stand doing what was written and was always trying to make my own versions of things. As soon as I was able to record ideas that was it, that was me sorted.
What artists did you listen to growing up?
Mostly whatever my parents were listening to. My dad listened to a lot of 80s stuff like The Police meanwhile my mum loved Eva Cassidy and Stevie Wonder. Other than that, it was entirely classical, which I guess inspired me to want to break out and do my own thing. At the time, it was pretty dull, but I really appreciate everything it taught me now.
What artists do you listen to now?
I’m fully all over everything. D’Angelo is my absolute favorite and I can’t see that ever changing. I listen to a lot of new jazz stuff like Thundercat and Robert Glasper. The old school legends: Marvin Gaye, Hall and Oates, Dilla, Led Zeppelin. Honestly I can’t nail it all down. I curate a playlist on Spotify called Manchild Mix if you want to know more about what I listen to though.
What was it like collaborating with Ghetts for his ‘Rebel Without A Cause’ album?
That was a bit of a trip! I was eighteen and it was the first time I’d been in a studio and written for anyone. He’s become a friend of mine over the years, especially after touring with him for that album. He’s such an inspiring human – I’ve never experienced energy like his. The lessons I learned from him both as an artist and as a man are ones that I’ll keep with me forever!
Are there any artists you would want to work with in the future?
So many! D’Angelo of course, he’s my hero and I’d love to create with him. There’s so many legends that I’d love to be in a room with, Stevie Wonder would be incredible! Matthew Healy from The 1975 as well, he’s someone I’d love to work with. And Frank Ocean of course.
Your new single ‘Lazarus’ was originally written as a poem. Do you write a lot of poetry?
Quite a bit, yeah, I’m always writing ideas as they come to me but I never consciously sit down and think “I’m going to write some poetry now.” It just comes to me and I feel compelled to express it as it does. When I look at my notebooks though, they are packed full of ideas. I should just publish them really, there’s bound to be some gold in there somewhere!
Do you ever read poetry? Do you have any favorite poets or poems?
Not as much as I did, I read novels more so now. I love the Beat Poet movement from the 50s – Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac. I especially love Kerouac for his book ‘On The Road’. You can find poetry in anything though. A few lines here or there can be so powerful, but it’s really about zoning in on the meaning and feeling of it. Nowadays it’s rappers that are seen as the poets and we’re in an age where it has so much resonance with people. Kojey Radical and Wretch 32, aside from Ghetts, are my favorites in the UK. They’re setting the standard worldwide. Following their journeys have been so inspiring.
What inspired the visuals that accompany ‘Lazarus’?
Life. It’s a simple piece, but one that completely embodies the meaning of the song. The need for a vice and the choice of how to channel my addictive nature. My true vice is my expression and my creativity, but it’s easy to get caught up in the short-term fix of other things which left me questioning myself and my path for a while.
What’s the story behind the song title? Why is it called ‘Lazarus’?
It’s about rebirth. It is about the changing of focus from me trying to escape my reality to embracing it and making something out of what I have – my ability to express and create. Lazarus was the guy that Jesus brought back from the dead, and although I’m not religious at all, I find a lot of similarities between that story and the one I was trying to articulate at the time.
You have a new project set for release in November of this year. Can you tell us anything about it?
It’s the first time I’ve been genuinely proud of something. I loved the first project, but I know I could’ve pushed it further and should’ve fought to get my way. Now I’m running my own label and have a wicked team round me that’s all deeply passionate about the message we’re trying to express and what we’ve got going on. It’s a mad feeling.
Describe ‘Lazarus’ in five words or less.
The calm within the storm.
Affinity Magazine is primarily read by teens — if you could give your teenage self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Weird is wicked. You can shape your life however you want and there’s really no rules. Just as long as you’re not hurting people you can do whatever you feel like. Also, be the one to talk to the lonely kid, you have no idea how much it might mean and what a difference it might make!
Shortly after this interview was conducted, Bloomfield released a live video for his latest single, ‘Another Man’s Woman’. The raw, groovy single is sure to be a hit. You can watch it below.
You can listen to Cameron Bloomfield’s music through Soundcloud and Spotify. Follow his journey by checking out his Instagram or Twitter.
Featured image via Instagram
