Claire Cameron’s Blog

• About The New Single ‘The Past Is Not The Now’

  

  I wrote ‘The Past Is Not The Now’ as I was starting to emerge from a dark and stormy time and strive upwards towards the light. I think there will be parts of this song many people can relate to.  Life is not a simple, planned and executed novel.  Plans go awry, people make mistakes and people get hurt.  I have always struggled with the need to ‘get it right’, ‘do my best’, ‘give it my all’, ‘succeed’ and ‘be perfect’. That is not a reality anyone actually lives……continue reading

  I wrote ‘The Past Is Not The Now’ as I was starting to emerge from a dark and stormy time and strive upwards towards the light. I think there……continue reading

• Songwriting; moving on when the past still moves you

  

  ‘Moving on’ is such an overused phrase.  It also doesn’t usually work unless you stop in one place with the feelings you are trying to escape, first. I’m in the process of finishing the third in a set of songs I’ve written about this very subject. Songs live in my head and my heart for a while before I can sing them out and complete the process. I usually write the piano part first, and then the melody comes out of playing the piano riff and the lyrics follow.……continue reading

  ‘Moving on’ is such an overused phrase.  It also doesn’t usually work unless you stop in one place with the feelings you are trying to escape, first. I’m in……continue reading

• My Kendal Calling Festival Experience

  

  Taking leave of the day-to-day I had a blast camping out in a field with my mum and other musicians and letting the ebb and flow of music and creativity take over our senses for the weekend. I love how the only important timings at a festival are when the next band or artist that you want to see is on and the only planning is around how to see as many of these as is humanly possible! Having been out of the country for a while one of……continue reading

  Taking leave of the day-to-day I had a blast camping out in a field with my mum and other musicians and letting the ebb and flow of music and……continue reading

• About ‘How Could You’ Claire Cameron’s new single

  

  Sometimes life does not go to plan. Sometimes it happens to you and there is a decision to be made – allow it to be in control of you or take back control of it and make something good come out of bad. Recently life has not been what I ordered, what I wanted or how I planned it. I’ve had a lot of questions for fate, God whoever makes the wheels spin and things happen. I’ve asked ‘why me?’, I’ve railed against fact and tried to argue with……continue reading

  Sometimes life does not go to plan. Sometimes it happens to you and there is a decision to be made – allow it to be in control of you……continue reading

• Beautiful Saigon celebrates Tết Nguyên Đán 2017

  

  This was the most beautiful Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán) we’ve ever celebrated in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). I think it was the most enjoyable due to the fact that we truly embraced everything there was to experience. From the family centred festivities at Damsen park, to the country-show feel of Tao Dan park and the photogenic flower street of Nguyen Hue, the whole city came alive with flowers and decorations. It was extremely atmospheric walking into a sumptously decorated Tao Dan park in District 3 to a surprising array……continue reading

  This was the most beautiful Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán) we’ve ever celebrated in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). I think it was the most enjoyable due to the……continue reading

• Saigon prepares for Tết Nguyên Đán 2017

  

  It is such a privilege to be in Vietnam during the run up to Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year).  It is our fourth year in Vietnam and we have stayed in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) every year during this celebratory time.  Many people go away from the city either to visit relatives or go on holiday abroad but we’ve always really loved being around to soak up the atmosphere! Our first year here was the year of the horse (2014) then came the goat, then monkey and……continue reading

  It is such a privilege to be in Vietnam during the run up to Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year).  It is our fourth year in Vietnam and we……continue reading

• Song for Saigon…in words

  

  As a few people have asked me to share the lyrics to ‘Song for Saigon‘  I thought it would be cool to share them with the world, so here they are. Listen to and download ‘Song for Saigon’ on CD Baby, Song for Saigon Saigon growing up my window She’s creeping right under my pillow With warm lights and motorbikes and sleepless nights and I know, It’s go with the flow   In this place which goes by many names, Both different yet somehow the ‘same, same.’ There’s smiling……continue reading

  As a few people have asked me to share the lyrics to ‘Song for Saigon‘  I thought it would be cool to share them with the world, so here……continue reading

• Song for Saigon…..in pictures

  

  After I finished Song for Saigon I spent a long time looking through my own photographs, trying to find one which encapsulated everything I was trying to say with the lyrics. The image for the cover art of the single needed to convey a busy city, chaos, tranquility, people and traffic and shops and food, the beauty and the unlovely, the noise and quiet.  It needed to say; ‘here is modern Saigon, as though a woman to be reckoned with, a city who has faced much and grown up,……continue reading

  After I finished Song for Saigon I spent a long time looking through my own photographs, trying to find one which encapsulated everything I was trying to say with……continue reading

• Song for Saigon Single Launch

  

  On a warm, sultry Saigon evening in December, I gathered my friends and fans together at La Fenetre Soleil, 44 Ly Tu Trong, District 1, to launch ‘Song for Saigon‘. Two years in the writing, and another one waiting for the right time to release it after flying back to the UK to record it, the time was now. It was overwhelming to see so many familiar faces in the crowd enjoying the music and supporting the launch. A huge thank you to all of you that came along!……continue reading

  On a warm, sultry Saigon evening in December, I gathered my friends and fans together at La Fenetre Soleil, 44 Ly Tu Trong, District 1, to launch ‘Song for……continue reading

• A Chance To Reflect

  

  It has been two years since I moved to Saigon, and it there has been plenty of music explored and performed in that time.  I spent the first year performing with a pop/rock covers band (Pho Play) at various venues including Pacharan, Acoustic, Darts Darts Darts, The Intercontinental and Caravelle Hotels as well as private parties. It was the perfect introduction to the music scene here and a great way of meeting some talented musicians already dwelling in Ho Chi Minh City.  The guys I played with are a storming……continue reading

  It has been two years since I moved to Saigon, and it there has been plenty of music explored and performed in that time.  I spent the first year performing……continue reading

• Settling in Saigon

  

  The past year has been a whirlwind of decisions, planning, moving and arriving, first physically and finally now as I sit down to write this on a simmering Sunday afternoon here in Saigon, mentally. Emotionally I think I’m nearly there, and I know this mainly because I have finally started to make use of having Roland (my precious Roland FP2 model Electric Piano) here and begun to wake up from the uninspired daze I have been wallowing in to set fingers to keys and ideas to music.  I’m perhaps……continue reading

  The past year has been a whirlwind of decisions, planning, moving and arriving, first physically and finally now as I sit down to write this on a simmering Sunday……continue reading

• AMP Magazine Review of Claire Cameron Band at 100 Club

  It was great to have AMP Magazine come and watch this gig. Claire Cameron Band headlined Future Rock by FeedmeMusic on a hot September night at 100 Club, London. Here’s what they thought of the show! AMP also wrote a great blog post introducing Claire Cameron Band to their readers.  Read that on A Musical Priority‘s website.…

  It was great to have AMP Magazine come and watch this gig. Claire Cameron Band headlined Future Rock by FeedmeMusic on a hot September night at 100 Club, London.……continue reading

• Claire Cameron interviewed by Yorkshire Post

  It was great to be asked by the Yorkshire Post to give them my thoughts on balancing life as a musician (as Claire Cameron) with a day job at a busy marketing agency (as Claire Hunter-Smith). Having an alter ego surely needs to become a song at some point…. Read the interview in full here on the Yorkshire Post website, and here is a snippet: ‘After some frustrating experiences at ‘pay to play’ gigs, where we only got to perform for a three-minute slot sometimes, I took a step……continue reading

  It was great to be asked by the Yorkshire Post to give them my thoughts on balancing life as a musician (as Claire Cameron) with a day job at……continue reading