Cameron Floyd

By Delaney Clifford

January 27, 2017

Cameron Floyd is a singer/songwriter from Charlotte, North Carolina, debuting his second studio album First, Forgive Yourself. The album features a blend of style and genre, ranging from country-inspired folk-acoustic all the way to R&B with a touch of rap thrown into the mix. The general lyrical inspiration seems to stem from Floyd’s romantic life, with song titles like “Tiffany,” “You Are What I’m Here For,” and “Miss Popular.” These songs showcase Floyd’s handle on love, relaying his experiences in relationships and the hardships that come with that dynamic. “Miss Popular” in particular features lyrics that depict the apprehensive environment surrounding the first impression with the girl that everyone has their eyes on, an interesting shift from his other love-related songs, showing a little taste of Floyd’s humble side.

First, Forgive Yourself Cover-2

Speaking to the two sides of that humility, Floyd’s song “More” describes the feelings of being a stepping stone in a woman’s life while on her way to someone bigger or better, and refusing to settle into this role. Floyd sings “I want to be more than you want me to be…I’ll do more than he’ll do,” wearing his heart on his sleeve, and proud of it. Floyd’s lyricism may be heavily based in romance, but it doesn’t encompass the entire album, with songs like the closing track, “January” stemming away from his ideas and experiences with love and focusing more on time and how its course takes its toll. The song takes a look into Floyd’s past, with his lyrics reminiscing on better days, leading back to how far he’s come since that time in his life. The song’s lyrics read: “The best and worst times of my life were in thirty-one days, oh January, you’ve left me with more to say,” illustrating the importance that Floyd places on that specific month of his past as a crucial part of what made him who he is today. Floyd features lyrics of the same nostalgic nature in other places on the record, but “January” stands alone on the record lyrically.

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Via indiefolkamericana.com
Musically, the album is a mix of what Floyd seems to be inspired by. Most of the songs feature a folk-acoustic composition, featuring string sections at certain points and other eclectic curve balls, such as twang guitar and harmonica. There are several songs that venture into R&B territory with a mix of soul and rap thrown in, especially “Surrender” featuring rapper, Whitty. All in all, this record showcases a variety of musical influences and a pretty clear lyrical view into Floyd’s personal life. Fans of Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, and Noah Gundersen will find a home in First, Forgive Yourself.

Be sure to catch Cameron Floyd at The Evening Muse on March 11.

Listen to the new album First, Forgive Yourself by Cameron Floyd - Clture

QCExclusive - Vol 4 Issue No.1 - January 2015
Published on Feb 3, 2015 - QCExclusive

By Jeff Hahne @jhahne

They say Absence makes the heart grow fonder. For Charlotte singer/songwriter Cameron Floyd, absence fuels an entire album of material. Floyd and his girlfriend had only been dating for about half a year when she went to Spain for two months. Ahh, young love. The 21-year-old musician rode a roller coaster of emotions during that time — from heartache to hope.

Those emotions found their way into songs that appear on Floyd's debut full-length album, Dancing the Distance. He's previously released three EPs, but he feels this is his strongest work to date. An album release party will be held at Amos' Southend on Nov. 14.

"There were times when I needed to pick up the guitar — we got in an argument or I missed her too much ... wow, that sounds cheesy," Floyd says with a laugh. "Music is an escape. A lot of songs are happy and positive because I got away from the pain I was feeling. I'm thankful that I can go to it as a way to get emotions out. I'm not scared to put that kind of stuff out, because I know there's plenty of people who have experienced the same thing and can relate to it."

When it comes to his lyrics, Floyd's mother Marlene is his biggest sounding board — she's a longtime songwriter for her husband, Derek, who is a Christian music vocalist.

"I get a lot of direction, encouragement and input from them," Floyd says. "My mom is always the first person I call. I can ask her if a line makes sense. They've put me on the right path to make music that connects with people."

"As love is shaking, my heart is breaking, could this be it? Or will we hold on to our promise now, and we will get through this," Floyd sings on "Change," a song he says defines what the album is about.

"'Change' was written in the middle of the summer and my feelings were so intense and honest about how I was feeling at that time," he says. "My mom loved the initial version of it. We recorded it differently when we went to the studio and she bluntly said, 'I absolutely hated it and can't believe you changed it.' It's good to know that she doesn't sugarcoat things."

Floyd plays acoustic pop-rock that leans toward the vein of John Mayer or Dave Matthews with lyrics that read more like diary entries.

Given his parents' involvement in the industry, it's no surprise that Floyd became a musician. When he was 13 or 14, he had dreams of being in the NBA, but his father steered him away from that.

"He told me I had no future in it, but that I would start playing music. I blew off the idea, but before I knew it, I was picking up a guitar and playing," he says. "I hate to admit it, but he was right."

Now, Floyd has the music bug he can't quite get rid of. Most of Dancing was written late at night over the past six months, when Floyd wasn't in school at UNC Charlotte — he's set to graduate in May with a degree in public relations — or working one of his two jobs at Applebees and GameStop. Finding time to write or play music isn't tough, though, when it's almost born out of necessity.

"It's all late nights in my room around 12:30 or 1 a.m.," he says. "Music is a drug for most musicians. There are days when I don't touch a guitar — I feel off-balance. When I'm playing though, I'm glad to get my dose."

So what does his girlfriend of 10 months think of all those songs Floyd has written about her? "She does give me some feedback," Floyd says. "Sometimes I only get 'that's good' or 'that's sweet.' I don't get intense criticism, maybe just 'that wasn't so good.' I appreciate her honesty though from someone outside my family." - Creative Loafing