"I think there has always been space for diversity in country music, it just takes brave, passionate, driven artists to raise their voices."
Cameron Hawthorn is bringing authenticity, heart, and a fresh perspective to the country music scene. In my exclusive interview, the openly gay singer-songwriter talks about growing up in Oklahoma, reconnecting his country roots, and the creative journey behind his bold new album, Church of the Outlaws: everyone is welcome. Saddle up-this is one ride you won’t want to miss....🤠🕺
Aw thank you. I'm a good ol' Kansas boy based in Texas now. My music has evolved over the years but at my core I have always been a singer-songwriter. I write all of my music and it's very important to me that I do as the story I tell through my music I feel is my bigger purpose in life. My new music incorporates dance beats and synths in a dark electronic soundscape, blended with my country roots, pedal steels and twangy guitars, and the stories I have to tell.
I grew up on all sorts of music, but my family is originally all from Oklahoma - so country music was always playing on the radio. I think I always knew growing up that I was a little left of center, so I didn't think I could do country music. I took the singer-songwriter route until about 2017 when I had an epiphany that country music was in my blood and if I wanted to do it, I could do it my way.
So many. From the greats like Elvis (Presley) and Johnny Cash to today's artists like Taylor (Swift) and Gaga. I'm constantly inspired by new artists and new music I hear in all sorts of genres. Lately, I have been really inspired by electronic/dance artists like RÜFÜS DU SOL, Camelphat, and Sofi Tukker.
I love it. I think everyone should be free to make whatever music they want to make, no matter what your background is or what kind of artist you are.
I've always said I would love to work with Kacey Musgraves, also a big inspiration to me.
I felt like I was losing steam a few years ago, and I met a fellow artist/filmmaker who really inspired me. He asked me to write a song for his film. That song ended up being an acoustic version of wildflower (the last track on the album). I had been trying to learn how to produce my own music, and after writing wildflower I was really inspired to write and produce my own album. The first song I wrote for the album (aside from wildflower, which I originally didn't even think I would put on the album), was OUTLAW.
When I started producing the track, I saved the project as Cowboy Church.
The idea of "going to church" - but my kind of church - where you just dance and you're free to be whoever you want to be - was this idea that I couldn't get out of my mind. It ended up shaping the entire album. As far as the Outlaw part, I just resonate so much with the idea of being an Outlaw in life - an outsider and a rebel on their own journey - and I knew I wanted to create a space that invited all Outlaws to come together to escape and be free.
I had written and produced a song that I thought would be the last song of the album and I showed it to my co-producer. I liked the song but I wasn't sure about it for the album. He echoed what my gut was telling me and challenged me to write something that would be more of a climactic conclusion to this album. The words "feel it in my spirit" had been bouncing around in my brain for a while, and I started producing a track with a long intro again, similar to OUTLAW which I knew would start the album. When the concept of Kindred Spirit came to me, it just made sense in my soul - in my spirit - that that was what I should be writing about: someone who I had been looking for on this journey that started with the call of the Outlaw.
When I visited Thailand for the first time in 2022, I left wishing I had done something with music there. It's such a magical, spiritual place, I just knew it would have been a once in a lifetime experience. Well, I had an opportunity to return to Thailand in April of this year, so I went to work trying to plan a music video for the final song I was releasing as a single from the album, which happened to be KINDRED SPIRIT.
I'm so grateful that I was able to connect with filmmakers there through a friend, and they pitched to me the idea of the video's story being based around a "Thai tattoo". I took that idea and ran with it, building out the story and tying in the feather and the hawk which had been spiritual symbols at the forefront of my mind with this song. The making of this video in Thailand really became a spiritual journey about discovering more about myself, as seen in the ending of the video.
They're all my babies, but I think as a songwriter, I tend to gravitate towards the most recent song I wrote. REDLIGHT was actually the last song I wrote for the album, even after KINDRED SPIRIT. It was kind of a surprise one that came out that I didn't expect. So I'd say that one.
In a genre like country music that is still seen as one particular "type" of artist, or even "type" of listener, I think it's crucial to have LGBTQ+ visibility. When I released Dancing in the Living Room back in 2019, there were few of us loud and proud in country music and I think it's wonderful to see more LGBTQ+ artists stepping out into the light.
I think there has always been space for diversity in country music, it just takes brave, passionate, driven artists to raise their voices.
When I'm not working on music, I love spending time with my partner and my dogs. We live on a ranch in central Texas so it's peaceful and quiet.
I try to get to the city as much as I can (Austin or Dallas) and we like to travel. Definitely go to South Congress in Austin - so many great spots to shop, eat, hang. In Dallas, I love the Bishop Arts area.
I would absolutely love to play some shows in the UK - I have only been to London twice and it was just to visit so I'd love to return for music. I'm planning shows here in the US first but please stay tuned for the near future!
Don't forget to stream Cameron's new album Church of the Outlaws on all streaming platforms and let us know your thoughts below.
