Kameron Marlowe builds a world of unhappy songs, characters, and tales on his third studio album, ‘Unhappy Track for the Soul.’ Drawing on nation, blues, soul, and folks traditions, the North Carolinian singer/songwriter invitations listeners to tug up a chair, pour a glass of whiskey, and be part of within the reverie.
‘Unhappy Songs for the Soul’ – Kameron Marlowe
Country singer Kameron Marlowe’s Unhappy Songs for the Soul seems like a spot to put his hat.
Launched on February 21st and produced by Ben West, that is the 27-year-old’s third report with Sony Music Nashville. Listening to the album, one can’t assist however hear an individual smart past his years, with a voice that recollects Chris Stapleton, Ryan Beaver, and a younger John Legend.
Hailing from Kannapolis, North Carolina, Marlowe acquired his begin singing in church and joined a band in highschool. In 2018, a expertise scout discovered certainly one of Marlowe’s songs on YouTube and acquired him an audition on The Voice. It led to him shifting to Nashville and independently releasing his critically and commercially acclaimed debut single, “Giving You Up.”
Quick-forwarding six years, Unhappy Songs for the Soul follows Marlowe’s 2024 sophomore album Keepin’ the Lights On, and options songs like “Burning Home,” “Whats up Whiskey,” and the moment spotlight, “Right here Lies the Idiot.”
“Right here Lies the Idiot” is likely one of the finest nation songs this author has heard in a very long time. Lyrically it’s intelligent, amd musically it’s a constellation of people, nation, and blues, with every fading out and in because the story calls for. Written by Marlowe, Laci Kaye Sales space, and producer Ben West, “Right here Lies the Idiot” is the standout music on the ten-track report – a group of introspective, self-aware, and infrequently darkish songs pulled straight from ideas and recollections that solely rear their ugly heads at 2 AM.
When the empty whiskey bitter’s
turn into withered graveyard flowers
When buzzin’ neon lights
break the silent midnight rule
A reminiscence I can’t let go,
the final phrases she stated, they echo
I made this mattress
This barstool was a gravestone
Right here lies the idiot

After listening to Unhappy Songs For the Soul it’s possible you’ll be beneath the impression that Marlowe spends his days alone and his nights in darkish bars.
This couldn’t be farther from the reality, in his personal phrases, “issues couldn’t be higher!” He’s at the moment on tour, gearing up for this album’s launch and lately turned engaged. Oh, and he has a rescue canine, Scooby!
Marlowe sat down with Atwood Journal on a gray and moist February afternoon in Nashville. We talked concerning the making of the report, the fantastic thing about unhappy songs, and what’s subsequent for him.
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:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
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“Right here Lies the Idiot” – Kameron Marlowe
A CONVERSATION WITH KAMERON MARLOWE
Atwood Journal: Unhappy Songs For the Soul is a departure out of your regular sound and elegance. Are you able to speak about what impressed the sound?
Kameron Marlowe: This report was a ardour challenge for me. I get very bored in a short time, and if I begin doing the identical factor for too lengthy, I’ve to modify it up or I’ll simply dig myself a gap. In order that’s sort of what this challenge was. I simply wanted to be inventive once more, be recent in my creativity, and sort of deliver this new sound to life that has been in my head and what I’ve been eager to do.
I began this complete challenge off with a music known as “Freeway Track” that I wrote on my own. It’s a narrative about any person that’s simply going by means of it, actually digging themselves a gap, actually difficult themselves and the sensation just like the world has acquired them down. This complete challenge is admittedly the diary of that man.
Was that the primary music you wrote for the report?
Kameron Marlowe: That was the primary music I wrote for the challenge but additionally, I might say “Burning Home” was the second concept I had for the challenge. I didn’t know if this was going to be like a 4 music, two music or 15 music sort of factor, I simply was like, ‘man, if I may ever put that music out and like, put it on a challenge, I don’t know the place it might reside, nevertheless it discovered its residence on this.
[“Burning House” is a song by the singer/songwriter Cam from her album Untamed]
What was behind deciding to cowl that music by Cam?
Kameron Marlowe: I feel that is likely one of the most stunning songs written.
One factor I like about that music is simply how visible her writing is, and I feel that’s actually particular. That’s how I try to push myself to put in writing. I try to see music movies once I write. Like what would I see on the counter or what would I see in a special room if I used to be within the music video. That has at all times been like my thoughts set in the direction of writing. and I really feel like she nailed that and hit that out of the park with that music.
I had a dream a couple of burning home
You had been caught inside
I couldn’t get you out
I lay beside you and pulled you shut
And the 2 of us went up in smoke
I discovered your report very visible. A few the tracks actually stand out “How’s the Leaving Going” and “Right here Lies the Idiot.” I do know you co-wrote the previous with Laci Kaye Sales space and Ben West, your producer, who by the best way I like. Laci’s report final yr was sensible.
Kameron Marlowe: Laci is so gifted. It makes me sick how gifted she is. She’s such a celebrity and he or she has no concept how large of a celebrity she is, and I like it!
By way of sound, you stated it was in your head for some time. Is there any inspiration you draw from? Different artists or books or movies?
Kameron Marlowe: Truthfully the sound of the challenge got here from the room we recorded in. It was truly an previous feed and seed retailer that this man had purchased and transformed right into a studio. It sounded so hole and so lonely in there, and it was like the right place to report unhappy songs. It simply had the mojo.
It’s mainly a storefront on this city known as Gallatin, Tennessee, and on the finish of the report, you’ll be able to sort of hear rain and all that?
All that we did was… should you hear intently, you’ll be able to hear the rain all through the entire observe, however we had a mic and we simply opened the door to the room and simply minimize the music, and it was raining that evening. It was actually cool, actually creative to get on the market and report that method. It was the right, excellent place to report.
Did you report with a reside band or was it you and your producer taking part in totally different devices?
Kameron Marlowe: No, that’s precisely how we did it. We performed all of it reside collectively. We had large room mics arrange, like 5-foot, 10-foot, 20-foot away to only seize the nuances of the room. That method it had this full, constant sound. I wished it to really feel prefer it was recorded it one place with the identical group of individuals.
I nerd out over these items so I can speak about these items all day. [laughs]

Kameron Marlowe: I feel we did three days of recording. The ultimate takes are just about the final time we performed it by means of. We’d play it down, make some modifications, play it down once more, after which as soon as we felt like we acquired the magical mixture we determined to roll with that after which we might hit report one final time, play it by means of, after which combine it from there.
Sounds such as you had been concerned from starting to finish, together with the blending and mastering?
Kameron Marlowe: Sure. I’m most likely method too concerned, however I like producing. I like simply moving into the music. That’s why I feel I wanted this challenge a lot, as a result of I wanted one thing to latch onto that I may absolutely really feel like was from me, and this challenge embodies that.
On the one hand the album feels like nation music 40-50 years in the past, however on the identical time, it’s very up to date.
Kameron Marlowe: I recognize that.
It’s a really unhappy report.
Kameron Marlowe: It’s so unhappy. [laughs]
And really darkish. You evaluate a barstool to a gravestone, and an empty whiskey bottle to graveyard flowers. I like a very good unhappy music, so the report is certainly for me. You’re fairly pleased although, issues are going nicely for you, so the place does the unhappiness come from?
Kameron Marlowe: Issues couldn’t be higher. That’s the wildest half about this *laughing*.
I really feel like for me, I’ve at all times been… I don’t know. Glad songs don’t give me the identical feeling that I can get from a tragic music. I really feel like I can connect myself to unhappy songs. I really feel like I may really feel extra emotion out of them. That’s why I have a tendency to put in writing darker songs as a result of I wish to really feel the emotion. Even in the best way I sing, I try to emote and like actually make the listener really feel like they’re listening to that particular person’s life by means of the music.
Do you’ve got a favorite off the report?
Kameron Marlowe: I must say, “If You Keep.” What’s bizarre about that music is I really feel like it’s the happiest sounding music, nevertheless it truly… like should you actually take note of the phrases, it’s this man begging and pleading with this lady and saying something that he presumably can to get her to remain and to not go away him.
It’s tremendous unhappy should you take heed to the phrases and actually dig into it, and I feel that’s sort of an attractive factor that we did the place sort of made it really feel a bit of bit extra, like pleased after which the which means is a bit of darker. It’s positively the darkest one on the report for positive.
Going again to the start, you grew up in North Carolina, you went to varsity, needed to drop out to care for your mum, after which ended up on The Voice in 2018. Did your upbringing level to a profession in music?
Kameron Marlowe: I didn’t know I used to be going to get into music. Music wasn’t on my radar. I beloved taking part in in small bars and pubs round city, nevertheless it was by no means… I feel, truthfully, it began once I went on The Voice and I realised, ‘dang, these individuals truly do that for a dwelling.’
As soon as I acquired a style of doing music daily, I used to be like, ‘ what?’ That is true, that is what fills me up, that is what provides me ardour to wish to do every thing.’ I don’t know. it’s like, I can’t actually clarify how a lot music actually means to me.
As soon as I tasted that and I couldn’t even take into consideration doing the rest, so I instantly began going to Nashville as a lot as I may, assembly as many individuals, discovered a gaggle of associates and hit it up.
They stated they had been getting a home. We had been all, not gonna mislead you, we had been all a bit of drunk, at a bar known as Crimson Door in Nashville, and these two guys had been like, ‘hey man, we’re getting a home, are you’re you in?’ And I used to be like, ’yeah man, completely!’ Not considering they might ever name me once more, and so they ended up calling me like the 2 or three days later, and stated, ‘we discovered the home, right here’s what lease’s gonna be, are you in otherwise you out?’
And I needed to decide there after which if I wished to wager on myself and I took the wager, and I’m glad I did. I couldn’t think about not doing music. Despite the fact that it’s probably the most irritating enterprise I’ve ever been in my whole life, besides, I might not change a factor.
What’s subsequent for you?
Kameron Marlowe: I don’t understand how a lot I’m alleged to say about this, however I’ve acquired plenty of new music coming as nicely. It’s not going to be down the “unhappy songs” lane, it’s going to be again to common scheduled programme, with my regular sound, my type, so I’m very excited to see how this subsequent report shapes up. I can’t wait to get in and report it. I’m simply now getting the songs collectively. It by no means stops, however like I stated, I wouldn’t change it for nothing.
Would you ever return the sound from this report or was it extra of an experiment?
Kameron Marlowe: I feel I might.
The total title of the report was truly alleged to be, Unhappy Songs For the Soul Quantity 1: Heaven within the Bottle, so it was an excellent lengthy title, and I used to be going to have Quantity 1, Quantity 2, Quantity 3 or no matter, simply relying on how individuals favored it, however I’ve had some individuals discuss me down and say that title was too lengthy, however there’s most likely going to be a Quantity 2 ultimately.

My final query is the paintings for the report, very cool, actually creative. It’s a adverse, isn’t it?
Kameron Marlowe: Thanks a lot.
Sure, that’s precisely what it’s. It sort of got here from a dialog with me and my supervisor. I actually didn’t wish to have my face on this challenge, as a result of it’s not about me, it’s its personal factor, it’s its personal world, it wants to remain in its personal world.
I’m not going to mislead you, I like the color inexperienced, in order that color inexperienced on the album is my favorite color inexperienced, so we began there, and we had an artist sort of draw up, like their ideas of every of the songs as we wanted paintings for every of the singles.
They got here up with designs and we might ask them to vary issues and sort of determine it out altogether, and it lastly got here collectively, and I used to be like, ‘I like these, however what are we going to do for the full-length cowl?’ I beloved all the opposite ones a lot, I used to be like, ‘we’re simply going to place all of them collectively on the on the web page.’
Just like the report, the paintings is up for interpretation.
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:: stream/buy Unhappy Songs for the Soul right here ::
:: join with Kameron Marlowe right here ::
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