"My name is Alex Cameron and I won't waste your time. When you're talking about me and my business partner, Roy Molloy, you're talking about the online cowboys in the wild-west days of the World Wide Web." This is the bio to Alex Cameron's Bandcamp, and the essence of his musical career.
The Australian synth-pop newcomer started off as a conundrum. I remember him being force-fed onto my radar almost two years ago when Mac DeMarco made a series of videos on Instagram, infiltrating Alex Cameron tapes in our psyche.
Is he a joke or a serious musician? You may as well find the answer to be both. Initially, Cameron was a high-concept act where he adopted the persona of a "failed entertainer." During live performances, he's often joined by saxophonist and aforementioned "business partner" Molloy.
"I write about the outlier, the table-for-one guy, the guy whose life is a constellation of microscopic tragedies. Failure has been under-explored in music. My characters come from a place where ambition, crippling self-doubt and tragedy intersect." - Cameron
Now for the serious side. After self-releasing his debut album Jumping the Shark in 2013 (for free) on his website, things began to really HAPPEN for Cameron. Catching the attention of several affluent indie artists, like Foxygen, the solo artist began extensively touring alongside the likes of Mac DeMarco, Kevin Morby, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Angel Olsen.
By the time 2016 rolled around, Cameron got signed to Secretly Canadian (home to The War on Drugs, Yoko Ono, Whitney and more) and once that debut album got reissued, the cult-following ensued.
"Its 2016, and it's time for Alex Cameron. Entertainer. Showman. Shaman. Side by side with his business partner and saxophonist, Roy Molloy, the duo are a living and breathing story of success told through the internet; unedited, unscripted, and, up until now, to a dedicated audience of no one. Thanks to the good people at Secretly Canadian that is about to change." - Cameron
Before we continue, this is the perfect time to listen to some Cameron tracks below.
OK, now that you've connected the sound to the face, we can move along. Sometime during the album promotion, Cameron and The Killers' Brandon Flowers, naturally, formed a beautiful friendship. So beautiful in fact, that Cameron co-wrote five songs on The Killers' fifth studio album Wonderful Wonderful.
Fast forward to present day and Cameron is now two albums in and selling out shows. His sophomore album Forced Witness was released last year and features contributions from Molloy, Flowers, Olsen and Jonathan Rado. As one fan on Bandcamp puts it, his music can be chocked up to "Bogan pop from an alternate nineteen eighties." One part slapstick/ satirical, and two parts catchy '80s pop is the feeling that Cameron chases after in his music. Listen to a couple tracks (along with the strange music videos) from the new album below.
Cameron accompanied The Killers on their tour earlier this year before embarking on his own. He recently wrapped up a North American tour and will be heading to Europe soon. Now that we've converted you into a dedicated fan, here's the good news: Cameron has added three additional dates in the U.S. for October. If you live in Brooklyn, San Francisco, or Los Angeles than you've got yourself some dumb luck. Head over to Cameron's website to cop tickets and keep up-to-date with his shenanigans.
Alex Cameron – 2018 Tour Dates
08/16/18 – 08/19/18 Brecon Beacons, UK – Green Man Festival
10/11/18 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw Concerts
10/14/18 San Francisco, CA – Treasure Island Music Festival
10/16/18 Los Angeles, CA – Regent Theater
