Amidst all the CMA Fest pandemonium last week, New England Country Music was fortunate enough to talk with up-and-comer, Cam, and the West Coast beauty is not short on southern charm. She’s sweet and good-natured, and seemed genuinely happy to talk with me. Just a few minutes into the conversation, she made me feel like I was talking to an old friend.
Camaron Ochs, (pronounced Oaks, “like a tree,”) just goes by Cam now. The native Californian’s country roots trace back to her childhood when she would spend her days on her grandparents’ farm. Nowadays, she brings the California sunshine with her everywhere she goes by wearing her signature color, yellow.
There’s no denying that Cam shines in every way. Fresh off the Bud Light stage at CMA Fest, the songstress was beaming and her excitement was contagious. She provided me with a little backstory about her experience on the Bobby Bones show just two days earlier. Bobby asked if she would play a bit of her song, ‘Burning House,’ the tune that captured everyone’s attention during her Opry debut a few weeks ago. Of course she fulfilled the request, and to her surprise, his listeners responded in the most incredible way. “They all went out and bought that record! It went all the way up to number eight on the Country iTunes chart!” Cam said, describing it as “super wild.” Everyone has been so supportive of the record. The ballad showcases both Cam’s strong vocals and her immense talent as a songwriter with lyrics that will give you chills. She was astonished when fans at her CMA Fest performance were singing along word for word. The popularity of the song has continued to grow in the days since her appearance on the Bobby Bones show and she was even invited back to perform the song live with Kelsea Ballerini on June 16th. “If people like the song, you let them hear it,” Cam said. On June 15th Sony Music Nashville tweeted that ‘Burning House’ is officially Cam’s next single and the following day, iHeartRadio featured the lyric video. I think it’s safe to say that Cam is on fire.
But that’s not all. Just a few short weeks ago, Cam made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry – a dream come true. “It feels better than you could ever imagine,” Cam said when I asked about her inaugural night. “I remember touring the Opry before I moved to Nashville thinking, oh my gosh, I really want to be on that stage someday, but thinking, that’s not really possible, everyone must say that.” It’s without question that the Opry is sacred ground in Nashville. Anyone that’s been there knows that when you step inside there’s a feeling and an energy that you can’t quite put into words. “There’s just certain places in the world that just have a little extra something, and the Opry is one of those places.” Cam tried to explain, “I don’t know how to say this without sounding really cheesy, but everyone’s just letting their little hearts shine because everyone is so happy to be there.” She added, “Just to be on that stage and play for people that love Country music that much it’s crazy… I knew I would be so excited to be here, but I had no clue how amazing it’s going to feel until you get out there. It’s just so magical!” From the looks of it, Cam should start to make herself at home on the Opry stage as she was invited back for a second performance on June 16th!
It’s obvious that Cam is a talented vocalist, but what you may not know is that she writes all of her songs too. “They’re all my stories, fortunately or unfortunately.” She talked about what it’s like to perform her own songs, “I get to relive whatever story it is when I sing it. It means something every time.” Cam opens up in her music about all of her highs and lows and has the opportunity to share her experiences with the world. “It makes me feel not alone… people will say, ‘I know exactly what you’re going through and I’m going through it too!’ and it’s cool… it’s like earning lots of new friends!” And fans aren’t something Cam takes for granted. She always takes the time to meet as many fans as possible, saying hi, giving hugs, and snapping photos. “It makes me so happy!” she said simply.
Another way Cam likes to stay connected with fans is through social media. These days, it’s easy for artists to get instant feedback on their work. They can see who loves what they’re doing and who hates it, who their music is reaching, who is buying it, who is streaming, and in Cam’s case, they can just watch the numbers soar. Earlier this year, Cam exclusively released her four-song EP to Spotify. “It’s incredible what they’ve done for a bunch of artists, including myself, to connect me with all of these people that love these songs!” she said. Regarding the recent controversy that’s been surrounding streaming services such as Spotify, she says, “There’s been a lot of back and forth about streaming. I think like with most things with the internet. It’s kind of Wild Wild West right now. It’s sort of crazy and awesome. Coming from California I LOVE that – the idea that this is a new frontier… it’s a lot to take in because there’s so much going on. It’s shaping itself right now and the music industry is adjusting into its new clothes.” There is no denying that partnering with Spotify has helped Cam reach thousands of new fans. The four songs on her EP have approached 10 million streams in less than five months and her song, ‘Half Broke Heart,’ has over 4.9 million streams alone.
Something else to add to her growing list of accomplishments, Cam was named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country. “Isn’t that crazy?” she said, “I feel SO blessed to be a part of it!” Cam explained how Leslie Fram, Senior Vice President of Music Strategy for CMT, is someone that has connections to a couple other women Cam knows. She first met Leslie when she was just starting out, doing the rounds and showing people her music. “She is so smart and such an incredible person to just shine a light on these up and coming female artists.” Cam was able to participate in an event during CMA Fest at the Country Music Hall of Fame where she got to sing with RaeLynn, Angaleena Presley, Danielle Bradbery, and Kelsea Ballerini. The group of ladies talked about what it’s like to be women in country music, the challenges they’re all facing, and some of the best parts about it all. “It’s frustrating sometimes that you have to work extra hard, but in the end your music is going to be that much better,” Cam said, adding that it’s “a really welcome challenge.” Something you’ll notice about Cam is that she’ll always remain true to herself as an artist. It’s easy to get caught up in chasing the next trend, and right now it seems there is a trend that is something men sing about (otherwise known as ‘bro- country’). But following trends doesn’t seem like the best way to achieve longevity in the music business. Cam has the right idea, “I’ll just keep working and doing the music I want to make and we’ll see how everyone responds,” she said. So far, it seems to be working for her.
As the interview was closing, I thought it would be good to lighten things up a little bit. So what’s a fun fact about Cam? She LOVES grapefruit. “I’m almost embarrassed about how much I love it. I devour grapefruit!” As far as her dream collaboration, it’s not a legendary Country star like Dolly Parton, nor is it a hunk like Luke Bryan, nor a fellow Country artist at all. Cam would love to work with Annie Clark, better known as her stage name, St. Vincent. “She plays Indie/Alt/Pop/Rock music. She plays crazy guitar, she’s SUCH an amazing guitar player! And she has this beautiful voice and she’s just such a cool performer.” The way Cam was raving about her, I was intrigued enough to check her out for myself. So I’ll be over here patiently waiting for this dynamite duet to happen. Our final tidbit on Cam, while she stands firm that nothing can beat the California sunshine, the songbird loves a humid Nashville summer night! Yes, even with all those curly locks.
My conversation with Cam could have gone on forever. And while she may be bubbly and full of personality, don’t let it fool you into thinking there isn’t much going on upstairs. She’s incredibly smart, creative, hardworking, and passionate. She’s a firecracker and she’s about to set the world ablaze. Maybe that was a little cheesy, but there are just certain people that have a little extra somethin’ and Cam is definitely one of those people.
Make sure to follow Cam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and check out her website!