Upcoming singer-songwriter Cameron Whitcomb opened up about his whirlwind journey from living room karaoke to getting a golden ticket on American Idol, and now, an independent artist whose music brims with authenticity. With a gritty vocal style and a lyrical depth that fans resonate with worldwide, Cameron is redefining what it means to have a personal style. Reflecting on his creative process, influences, and experiences, he tells us everything about his EP, Quitter.
For Cameron, music wasn’t a part of the plan but karaoke was something he enjoyed doing in his free time. “I was working on a pipeline and I was working or just about to work on a pipeline, but then I started doing karaoke on my couch, just in my house, by myself and I was posting it on Reddit. Then a casting agent for American Idol reached out and asked me if I wanted to audition for the show and then a couple of months later, I went and did it, and somehow also got the golden ticket.” Cameron’s unmistakable charisma soon caught the attention of the right people, and before he knew it, his life plan had pivoted.
After earning a golden ticket, Cameron’s journey on American Idol was nothing short of invaluable, teaching him many lessons, but the most important one being staying grounded. “Being on Idol taught me that what you give is what you’re going to get. So if you spend every day, you know, pissed off and jealous and whatever, chances are that attitude isn’t going to get you very far,” he explained. “From that point on, I was like ‘whatever I can do to not dig holes for the rest of my life is what I’m going to do’. by the time I made it to the finals and got kicked off, I quit my job and was like, I’m going to do this music thing full time.” This is something that has stayed with him as he navigates his journey through sobriety.
Since American Idol, Cameron has thrown himself into songwriting, drawing inspiration from his rawest moments and the overlooked struggles of people you see everyday. His latest EP, which includes deeply personal tracks like “Flower Tattoos,” has struck a chord with audiences for its genuine storytelling. “‘Flower Tattoos’ is one of my favorite songs,” he shared. “I wrote it with a very good friend. It ended up being a really, really cool song. I don’t spend too much time in the city but that song is kind of about those people that deal with addiction, and I wasn’t very far off from it. Addiction is something that’s pretty gnarly. But I see these people all the time and it breaks my heart because they’ve turned themselves into zombies. I think we’re all trained to have tunnel vision on the sidewalk and not really pay too much attention to these people. But they were somebody’s kid once.” Cameron’s empathy and emotions shines through in the lyrics, resonating with fans who see parts of their own stories in his music.
His creative process is just as unique as his journey. Cameron doesn’t believe in forcing the process of songwriting. “The best songs come together quickly, usually in a day,” he said. “If I start getting stuck, I take a step back to make sure I’m writing from a real place. The songs that come from an honest place are always the strongest.” His dedication to authenticity is evident in the brimming rawness in all his tracks. “When I made it to the finals (of American Idol) and got kicked off, I quit my job and was like, I’m going to do this music thing full time. The first year of it was pretty brutal. I ran out of money and I didn’t really know how to work the social media quite yet, and then I went back to work. I really honed in on songwriting and learning how to play guitar and I spent another winter just working and just trying my best. By the time the work season was done, I had just bought a new Harley. I wanted to go meet people and just keep writing songs. Since then,I’ve just been focusing on sobriety and songwriting and making music.” With the incredible journey, work, and consistency that have gone into his career, Cameron says, “I kind of found my niche. I’ve learned along the way that anybody can write songs about, you know, whatever. Honestly, for most people, it’s not going to do you any good just writing what you think people want to hear versus actual things you’ve been through.”
The fruit of his journey and work is his debut EP, Quitter. A standout track from his EP, “Rocking Chair,” has gained massive traction on social media. “Everything that I was writing was just going right onto my phone. So I’d write a song and then record it that afternoon and just post it on social media, and that’s how I was doing it for the longest time. It’s been awesome because now I can show people the already recorded tracks and get people to fall in love with them. The thing about Rocking Chair is so funny because people keep telling me they wish they got the raw version of it.” This fan reaction has encouraged Cameron to focus on creating music that captures the essence of those initial, stripped-back recordings, even as he explores new styles in the studio.
Growing up, Cameron found musical inspiration in some of the most iconic artists including Eminem, Kurt Cobain, and Nirvana. “I’ve definitely thought about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana a lot. And then vocally, I used to take a lot of inspiration from Tyler Childers.” These influences have fused and allowed him to find a distinct musical identity for himself. “Lately, I’ve found my voice and what works for me.” The most incredible thing about Cameron is that his music feels real, and is what is earning him a loyal fanbase as he carves out his career. As he continues touring, meeting new people, and creating unfiltered music, he reflects that his biggest inspiration for being authentic is the people he keeps around him. And as long as he keeps doing what he’s done well so far, we might be witnessing a star being born.