UNAPOLOGETICALLY RNB KAMILLE SET TO WOW WITH HER LATEST MINI-ALBUM, ‘K1’ [@KAMILLE]

Award-winning, RnB mastermind, Kamille, unveils her eagerly anticipated debut mini album, ‘K1‘. Filled with unapologetically R&B pop anthems, this record signifies the beginning of her self-discovery as an artist.

Continuing to rise from strength to strength whilst kickstarting the new wave of UK R&B, Kamille reaches new heights with a substantial, eight-track body of work, produced in her home studio. Going back to her roots, the BRIT Award-winner blends 80s-inspired disco with her new and evolved R&B sound from start to finish. Produced independently whilst pregnant with her first child, ‘K1’ pays homage to her youth, reflecting a full circle moment as she reminisces on listening to Motown Classics and funk hits with her parents growing up.

Bethel: Tell me about the collaborative efforts involved in creating this project.

Kamille: Oh my gosh. To be honest with you, it started off not very collaborative because it was actually me at home when I was in my first trimester. I had so much morning sickness, and I was like, ‘I need to just create. I’m gonna go insane.’

I started making songs and producing them on my own, which was a very incredible experience for me. And then there was one song in particular that I loved called ‘Muscle Memory‘ that my management were like, ‘This is really, really cool. This is really like a special song’ – and next thing you know, Nile Rodgers jumps on it. So that was when it started becoming more collaborative, when different artists were really into it and wanted to jump on. You got Tamera and Bellah on ‘Options‘, which is like Track Of The Week right now on Radio 1, and then there’s Kojey Radical on ‘Manifesting‘. So it’s become collaborative, but it definitely started off just me on my own, which is crazy.

Bethel: What themes or stories did you get to explore?

Kamille: To be honest with you, the whole EP was just about happiness. I think I’ve just gone through such an incredible, happy time in my life that I just felt empowered. I felt really strong as a woman, so I was just in a joyful era, and I think it kind of shows in the music. A lot of people are like, ‘You sound so happy in this music’ – and I love that. I want women, in particular, to really feel the empowerment through it as well.

Bethel: In what ways do you find being a mother has impacted your creativity and songwriting on this project?”

Kamille: Do you know what? It’s actually really funny. Because I’m basically on borrowed time, I literally have such limited time when I’m in the studio. I feel it’s actually made my creativity much stronger. I’ve got fewer inhibitions; I’m not overthinking when I write songs like I used to because I’ve literally not got enough time.

Yesterday, I was in the studio with Fred Again. He came over to my house, and we had like two hours before he had to fly out, and before I had to feed my baby. We just made a bunch of songs in that time that were so sick, and I think that’s because I’m not thinking about it as much. I think it definitely shifted my priority on what’s important, and it’s about having fun in the studio much more than overthinking lyrics and melodies. I just don’t do that anymore, which is really cool.

Bethel: That sounds really exciting. With your experience in writing for various artists, how do you manage to stay true to your own artistry while writing for others, and are there any specific techniques you use to ensure their unique voices shine through?

Kamille: Oh, that’s an interesting question. I feel like for me, what keeps me true to who I am as a writer is melody. I love interesting melodies; I love a really, really good chorus melody, so I know that that’s something I’ll always have in my music. I think that’s quite distinctive for me as a writer, and even in my own music, I definitely like a really, really good chorus. I think that’s the thing that threads through. I think with other artists and their voices, I like to kind of embellish on what they do already. Like if someone has a really soft tone, for example, I like writing songs that are really syncopated in the chorus or really dry on the reverb, so you really hear their voice. For a big singer, like Perry from Little Mix that I’m making a lot of music with, obviously, she’s got an incredible voice, so I’m really focused on writing hooks and choruses that allow her voice to really shine. It’s like high notes and loads of soaring melodies, so I think I’m just someone who’s always loved to enhance what that singer does already and just bring out the best in them.

Bethel: Is there anything that you feel like you may have done or could have done differently, and following that, do you have any advice for people who want to sing and write?

Kamille: I think at the beginning of my career, I definitely shouldn’t have listened to anyone telling me that I shouldn’t have been a singer. When I first came into the industry, black women weren’t really supported in that way, especially being front-facing, and we were more told to be writers and stay in the background, and I wish I never listened to that. I think, how far would I have come, how soon would I have gotten here, if I just listened to my own intuition. So I definitely think I wouldn’t have listened to anyone else telling me that I wasn’t the baddest.

I think we should always listen to ourselves and trust ourselves, and that definitely feeds into the advice that I would give. Don’t listen to anyone telling you, you can’t do it, and I know it sounds really obvious, but I’ve really shown myself that you can do anything you put your mind to. I’ve produced this album on my own, completely alone, and it’s track of the week on Radio 1, one of the songs from it, and that’s just me doing it pregnant. So if I can do that now, I imagine what I can do when I’ve got all the energy, all the time, and all the facilities. I think I want to encourage particularly other women to go for it. Any dream you have, anything you want to do, put your mind to it and work hard. You’ve got it, and I that’s all I want to encourage.

Bethel: Can you share any insights into the timing of the album’s release and why you chose this particular time?

Kamille: I feel like it had to be now because I made this body of music, and it felt so strong; it felt like it was encapsulating where I’m at in my life. So it just needs to come out. Being independent and not being signed to a major means I can just drop music when I want, and I’m definitely feeling a lot more freedom and excitement with that. So it felt like the right thing to do. I feel like it’s been a long time since people have had a body of music from me, and I want people to hear where I’m at.

This is definitely the first chapter. ‘K1’ is the first instalment of my music. It’s definitely gonna be in lots of little chapters. I was definitely inspired by Fred because we spoke about it all the time. He was like, ‘Kam, let’s just put out lots and lots of music. We’re writers and producers. That’s what we do.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right!’

I’m just gonna keep dropping chunks of music for people to enjoy.

Bethel: As you near the completion of your album’s production, what have been the high points of the creative process?

Kamille: The high points have been seeing people react to it and be like, ‘Wow, you produced this?’

I know I’m singing on it, and I wrote it, and I’m always proud of that. But I think the high point has been seeing people’s faces when I played it to them, and they’re like, ‘you did this!’ and I’m like, ‘yeah’.

As a woman, I’m so used to producers always having that male energy, and it’s been really amazing, watching myself go into a new territory with that. I think it’s given me a lot of strength and confidence. That’s been a high point for me.

You can see Kamille perform ‘K1’ and more at her debut headline show on October 12, at London’s Omeara.

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