Kentucky native Camille Rae has sung and performed since she was three years old. Red-headed and full of energy, her sound is emotional with a blend of a soulful sultry tone. Rae has pursued music all her life from church choirs to singing in revivals, fairs and any outlet that would have her. When she was twelve years old she had her first guitar lesson. Right after that first lesson she went home and immediately started to write her own music. Rae’s grandmother found a book of poetry that Camille had written when she was eight and nine years old. She gave it to her and Camille used that as inspiration.
She received a music education degree from The University of the Cumberlands Kentucky where she was vocally trained and received certification to teach K-12 music. After college, Rae went to British Columbia to teach high school music. Her teaching career lasted only three years when during a turning point in her life she decided she owed it to herself to follow her dream. She left British Columbia and moved to Nashville to pursue her musical career full-time.
Rae released her second album, titled ‘Come Find Me,’ on March 17th. She wrote or co-wrote more than half of the fifteen tracks on ‘Come Find Me,’ a concept album that reflects who she is as an artist. Rae inspires to write songs that have ties to her own experiences. “I write about myself, it’s a personal experience. Something I need to get out of my system to get out on paper. Co-writing is a more creative process. Bringing a lot of your personal thoughts and experiences. It’s very therapeutic. I’m thankful I have that ability to get it out there when I need to.”
Influenced by the powerful voices of Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Trisha Yearwood and Celine Dion, to name a few, you can hear that inspiration throughout the album. Her first single from the album, a song titled ‘But I Want You,’ charted on Music Row and continues to receive strong Country Radio airplay across the United States and Canada.
Rae describes her sound as a mix of many genres ranging from classical to bluegrass, but with a country twist. She is passionate about her live performances, putting everything she has into them. “My goal is to sing my songs live as close to the recorded version that I can, to sound just like you are listening to the record in the car on the way home.”
A second single from the album has just been released. “‘I Need Me’ is the single out now. I wrote it and have been singing it for 4 or 5 years. Back then, I was going through a lot of change and I needed to make changes so I could be happy. That’s my baby, it’s the one I have developed the most. I am super proud of it.” Camille is also excited about another song on the album. “’Take It Away’ is quite different from the other stuff. When we recorded it, we used drumsticks and a wine bottle. We stomped and clapped for the percussion loop and it was really fun.”
Rae is looking toward the future. She will be visiting the local radio stations to promote ‘Come Find Me.’ She is working on a music video for ‘I Need Me’ and and she is planning to tour and do festivals this spring and through the summer.
Camille also has ambitions. As an admirer of Kelly Clarkson, Rae would love to tour with her. “Her voice is amazing and she seems like a down to earth kind of gal.” Another aspiration is to meet one of her musical influences. “I would love to meet Trisha Yearwood and sing with her. I’m sure she had a hand in writing a lot of her stuff.”
New England Country Music would like to thank Camille Rae for taking the time to talk with us. No doubt this remarkable singer/songwriter and musical performer, will reach her goals and exceed them. Her voice is pure, her sound unique and her attitude amazing.
You can Purchase ‘Come Find Me‘ on iTunes or on Amazon.
Interview conducted by Lorraine Frigoletto, contributing writer for NECM. You can follow me on Twitter.