Get To Know Camera Cult Ahead of FPSF
Camera Cult. Photo: JoAnn Alvarez
The world of electronica is pretty stacked nowadays, making the route to getting noticed more and more about what you do on stage, it seems. For Houston’s Camera Cult, they pretty much just throw a party every time they perform and the room just gets down to their danceable jams. With two solid singles on vinyl under their belt and more on the way, the three-piece includes live instrumentation and is much like a mix of Disclosure meets ABBA. This year they’ve been added to the lineup of FPSF, and the festival is much better for it. Free Press Houston was more than happy to find out more about the trio’s past, present, and future.
Free Press Houston: You guys have been together for about two and a half years, are you all from Houston?
Camera Cult: Yeah, David and I [Ricky] were born and raised here. Our current live drummer, Isaac, is actually from Minnesota, but he’s been here forever now.
FPH: Your music sounds like dreamy synth pop from the ’80s made with modern instrumentation. Was that the goal when you started or just kind of what happened?
Camera Cult: When we first started that’s what we were going for. After awhile we just stopped focusing on trying to sound ’80s and started writing however we were inspired at the moment. It’s all mostly pop though.
FPH: You have two singles out that sound like dance party bangers. Do you have any plans for a full length album anytime soon or are you going to stick to singles for now?
Camera Cult: No full length in the foreseeable future yet. We plan to release more singles this year. We don’t wanna give away everything we have all at once.
FPH: Your live shows seem to almost always turn into a party where everyone in attendance, including the band, is getting down to your music. Are you guys big fans of the dance genre or does your music just take over and get you moving?
Camera Cult: I think the main goal when we made this band was to make music that gets people moving. We were inspired by all kinds of dance music. Disco, synth pop, rap/hip hop, old music, new music, and whatever we felt was fun. I think that translates to our music cause we don’t really have any slow songs.
FPH: You seem to really be having a great time when you play, does it ever feel like a job or is it always about fun?
Camera Cult: Definitely always about fun. I mean, we hate having to load all of our gear from our rehearsal room, to the van, to stage, and back again, but it’s always worth it when we get to play for people who enjoy our music and support what we do.
FPH: This is your first festival, correct? Do you have anything special planned for your set at FPSF?
Camera Cult: Yeah this our first big festival. We’re gonna play some new material for sure. We’ve also been working on keeping our set flowing the whole time without any pauses between songs. Whether we have a big crowd or not, we’re gonna perform like there’s no tomorrow, setting the standard for future Camera Cult shows.
There’s absolutely no reason for you to miss these guys when they light up the stage at FPSF this year. With unbelievably catchy songs and a fun live show, they should kick the festival off better than most. You can catch Camera Cult for their set at FPSF on Saturday June 3 at 11:10 am at the Mercury Stage. The all ages festival that runs June 3 and 4, will have gates open at 11 am, and will make its return to Eleanor Tinsley Park. Tickets run between $148 and $999 depending on how fancy you want to make your experience, with a headlining set from Lorde alongside performances from Solange, The Shins, Tove Lo, Charli XCX, and many more.
