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PEOPLE & ARTSTuesday 2 February 2016
Cam’s dreamy ‘Burning House’ ignites her career
KRISTIN M. HALL performance after years
Associated Press of writing and crowd-fund-
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — ing her own career.
Northern California-born “There was like three
country singer Cam turned years of being completely
a bad dream about an ex- broke,” Cam said in a re-
boyfriend into a song that cent interview. “And that’s
made her musical dream actually a great blank
come true. canvas for dreaming.”
“Burning House” gave The 31-year-old singer
the new singer, whose full with the curly blond bob
name is Camaron Ochs, and an affection for the
her first Grammy nomina- color yellow started study-
tion for best country solo ing psychology in college,
This Jan. 28, 2016 photo shows recording artist Cam poses for a portrait in Burbank, Calif. Cam is
nominated for a Grammy Award for best country solo performance.
Associated Press
but she quit to pursue sing- year and record of the year Cam said.
ing and writing. She co- for his work on Mark Ronson After getting signed by
wrote Miley Cyrus’ “Maybe and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Sony’s RCA Records/Arista
You’re Right,” from her well- Funk,” believed in Cam so Nashville, “Burning House”
received 2013 “Bangerz” much that he signed her to continued to burn up the
album, and also wrote his own label, Kravenworks. charts. It peaked at No. 2
for country singer Maggie “It’s so tough for a woman on the Billboard’s Hot coun-
Rose, but Cam kept push- to get a break in country try songs chart and went
ing toward her own singing music,” said Bhasker, who platinum, a rare feat for a
career, even raising money has also worked with Be- new female country artist.
through Kickstarter. yonce, Lana Del Rey and The song also helped Cam
Drake. “Especially coming earn four nominations at
She came up with “Burning from pop, where it’s like a the Academy of Country
House” after regrets about majority of female artists Music Awards, including
a breakup manifested get lots of radio play.” single record of the year.
themselves into a dream Bhasker helped her get a “Burning House” appears
that her ex was trapped in meeting two years ago on her major label debut,
a burning house. At the end at Sony Music Entertain- “Untamed,” which was
of the first verse, she sings, “I ment in New York, where released in December to
lay beside you and pulled she met with the compa- critical acclaim. And she’s
you close, and the two of ny’s chairman and CEO opening on tour for Brad
us went up in smoke.” Doug Morris. Paisley and Dierks Bentley
It is a pretty morose topic “And I didn’t fully know this year.
for a single, but her haunt- who Doug Morris was,”
ing voice paired with sim- Cam said of her first meet- “It’s super humbling,” Cam
ple piano and guitar back- ing with the label head. said of her Grammy nomi-
ing made it sound starkly “We sang ‘Burning House,’ nation, which pits her song
different than anything else and Doug closed his eyes against tracks by Carrie
on country radio. and started singing along Underwood, Chris Staple-
Grammy-winning produc- by the second chorus.” ton, Lee Ann Womack and
er Jeff Bhasker, who has Fans have a similar reaction Keith Urban.
worked with Kanye West, when she plays it live. She “It’s really nice for myself
fun. and Taylor Swift, men- had thousands of fans sing- and for so many people,
tored Cam and helped ing along when she made like as an artist, that you
craft the song with produc- a surprise appearance at represent. All the people
er and co-writer Tyler John- a concert by country sing- that have gone into mak-
son. er Sam Hunt in downtown ing the music and helping it
“No drums, slow song, odd Nashville, Tennessee, last reach so many ears.”
time signatures, but it just year. The Grammys will air live
resonated,” Bhasker said of “I don’t know anything in Feb. 15 from the Staples
the song. the world that unites 10,000 Center in Los Angeles. The
Bhasker, who is nominated people for three minutes ACM Awards will air live
at the Grammys for non- and everyone is com- from Las Vegas on April 3.
classical producer of the pletely on the same page,” Both shows will air on CBS.q
