Hi, everyone! I recently sat down with Cameron Lew, the mastermind of the LA bedroom pop project Ginger Root. Though he originally graduated as a film student from Chapman University, Lew has dabbled in both careers for a few years now. He originally started Ginger Root while his original group, Van Stock, was on hiatus. Describing his music as "aggressive elevator soul", he has been captivating audiences everywhere with his singles being featured on Spotify playlists like "Bedroom Pop". Additionally, he and his band was able to tour with psych-rock geniuses Khruangbin this past winter. After hearing some of his stuff on Spotify and Bandcamp, I was really excited to reach out and talk with Cameron about his young career.
bazzreviews: Which artists or albums inspired you to start a music career in the first place?
Cameron Lew: When I was listening to music growing up, it was definitely a lot of Beatles records. I was also really into this singer-songwriter from Canada called Feist. I have no shame in saying this, but I definitely listened to a fair share of Smash Mouth and Sugar Ray. However, it wasn’t really until high school when I started getting into more Motown and soul records, or discovering artists like Toro y Moi and Vulfpeck through the internet. It was then when I realized that I would want to try making my own music, too.
br: I understand you’re also a film student- have you experienced any challenges with focusing on both video editing and making music?
C.L.: I would say there’s definitely been more challenges recently, especially because we’ve been touring a lot. It’s mostly the time commitments that get me the most. It’s been hard to schedule and keep work as a freelance video editor, especially finishing projects after being on the road for a month or two. It’s also difficult to find a balance between putting creative efforts in the band or in my films.
br: You also got to tour with Khruangbin last year- what was that experience like?
C.L.: In one word, amazing. That was our first ever tour, and I’m incredibly grateful that they gave us a chance. We did a week with them both in Europe and in the states, then back out to Europe for another three and a half weeks. I don’t know if we’ll ever be on tour with a band of such status for a while- maybe never again. We used it as a big learning experience to determine whether we could tour as a band or not, and seeing what it was like touring nationally and internationally.
br: I’ve heard you’re known for some pretty awesome live shows- would you say that you prefer performing live or working in the studio?
C.L.: I really like both. I think it was really great timing for us with the Khrungbin tour because I had just put out my second record. I spent all this time writing the songs and other logistical things that I was trying so hard to figure out how we were going to put this all in a live format. I was ready to try and figure out how to play live, and once we got that offer from them, we were figuring out how to replicate that studio sound and make it sound really tight. Since we only have keys, bass and drums, we were also assessing whether that would be enough to play every song we have. On that tour, we definitely learned to adapt and make each song work live. However, after six straight months of being on tour, I’m really excited to head back into the studio and start experimenting with the deep batch of songs I have.
br: Can you describe your process for making songs?
C.L.: I write and record all the music for the records, and I’ll start with a keyboard about 95% of the time because It’s the main instrument I play on stage. I also have this drum machine that I play along with to find something that I can work with. I’ll record it onto my phone as a voice memo. If I have time, I’ll throw it into my computer and layer instruments on top of it. I’ll listen to it from start to finish, and if I like what I hear, I’ll turn it into a full song.
br: What’s more important to you- lyricism, or production value and instrumentation?
C.L.: I would say they’re both equal, but I look at them a little differently. Music usually comes first for me, but that doesn’t mean I put less effort into the lyrics. I like to write the lyrics with the theme of the music. I think lyrics also come last because I need to hear what the sound of the music is before I write words. I want to make sure that I put all the right words into the environment of the song. When I listen to music, the melody and chord progression hit me first. Afterwards, I’ll go back to a song and listen to its lyrics.
br: In you songs, I’ve seen themes of love and romance. Is the music you write a reflection of your own life?
C.L.: Definitely. I think a handful of songs on the record are somewhat romantic or about relationships. More often than not, it’s about looking inwards and trying to write about something that I’m going through. A lot of the songs are just about a very transitional point in my life. When I released it, I was just graduating college and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do music or dive into the film world. As a whole, I was going through a lot of emotions, especially doubt. It’s a very classic inner dialogue of a college student. But yes, the songwriting is more observational and based more on my inward thinking.
br: What were your reactions to your music being featured on massive Spotify playlists like “Bedroom Pop”?
C.L.: It’s funny because Spotify is such a massive company, essentially the streaming gods. If they like a song and catch wind of it, they put it on a playlist. The first time we made Spotify playlists, I just didn’t know what to think. My friends and I all listen to these mixes, and it’s funny to see my song among some of the legends of the respective genre. With “Bedroom Pop” though, a guy that works for the record label I’m on was able to track down a curator’s email at Spotify. We sent in my most recent single “Weather” and we didn’t hear back for the longest time. It’s not updated weekly like some of the playlists, so we were just waiting and waiting for months. All of the sudden, we heard back from Spotify saying that they added “Weather” to “Bedroom Pop”. I was like, “wow”, because I couldn’t believe. It was so long to the point where I nearly forgot I submitted it in. All in all, I’m glad that Spotify is giving my song a chance to reach new audiences. It makes me so happy that I’m on a playlist alongside so many of the artists I love and look up to, but it’s super weird at the same time.
br: Do you guys have any upcoming projects in the works right now?
C.L.: There is a record that is in the works, but it won’t be released any time soon. I still have a long way to go before it’s officially finished. I’ve written a fair amount of the album, but there’s still a lot I have to record and produce. There are a list of demos that I’m still sitting on, and I think that I’m going to shift my focus towards finalizing the writing process and then starting to record. If all goes well with it, releasing it next year is a good goal for me.
br: Can you tell me a little bit more about what it’s got in store?
C.L.: I’ve given it a little bit of thought, but I think that my last record (Mahjong Room) gave me the idea for what Ginger Root should sound like. I think I want to continue the instrumentation and production from Mahjong Room, but also hone in with those sounds and make them even tighter. I might also want to bring in some new flavors to this record, but not completely drift away from what makes Ginger Root Ginger Root. In terms of a thematic structure, I’m considering having to a certain lyrical theme on this record, almost like a message of sorts.
br: What music goals do you have for the future?
C.L.: I definitely love making music videos for Ginger Root, and I can start thinking of some ideas before I dive into this whole album recording process. Visual media has always been a huge part of what we do, and I want to give us an awesome boost that way. In the fall, I think we’d be ready to go back on tour. However, I’d really just like to stick to being an opener because there’s less pressure. Plus, it’s much easier to hop on as an opener rather than create our own tour. As an opening act, I want to be able to reach new people and blow their expectations. Maybe as the year progresses, I hope I can get some work done on some other film projects I’ve got going on right now.
LIGHTNING ROUND:
What are your favorite movies of all time? The Grand Budapest Hotel and The School of Rock
Who are your non-musical heroes? James Turrell
List one album that you find overrated and underrated. Overrated: The Dark Side of The Moon- Pink Floyd; Underrated: Astro Lounge- Smash Mouth
Which city has been your favorite to perform in? I’d have to pick two. In Europe, Copenhagen, and in the US, Brooklyn.
I'd like to thank Cameron for giving me his time to talk, I had a very nice time speaking with him. For those of you who have not checked out his music, listen to it as soon as possible. Thanks so much to all of my readers as well- more awesome bazzreviews stuff is coming your way real soon!
To dabbled in some of Cameron's music, log on to https://gingerroot.bandcamp.com/
Comments