Q&A with Mcamp

In the first 40 seconds of Mcamp's latest single, "sexy in the morning", you find yourself wrapped in a world of Motown grooves and D'Angelo-esque vocals. Musically, the Portland singer creates a smooth and easygoing fusion of some Stevie Wonder-swing and more electronic textures you'd expect to find in modern pop, like Pharrell. Lyrically, Mcamp paints a picture of hazy mornings but in a style more reminiscent of many great singer-songwriters' intimate storytelling, such as James Taylor. The mesmerizing effect is that while this song simply sounds brilliant, it is also personal and feels as though Mcamp is on the other end of a call, walking you through what's going down in his life. Basically, you could be sat in a room with the musical lovechild of Miguel, Smokey Robinson, and maybe even Carole King. I'm not sure how that makes sense, but it just feels right.

After making a name for himself with almost a million streams on "Speed Dial No. 1" and receiving playlist features from Spotify's Fresh Finds, Mcamp's latest single is not just another example of his incredible artistry but also a testament to his determination to incorporate new sounds and grow as a producer. It is no surprise that Mcamp is now managed by Rob Stone (FADER) and has already spent time in the studios of legendary producers like Babyface. On top of the fact his music slaps, Mcamp is also a great guy and an even better interview. We spent half an hour in a conversation that wandered from his inspirations; to the origins of "sexy in the morning"; his love for deconstructing music, and obviously Jimmy Buffet.

IndieWavves: I've been listening to your songs, and I'm hearing D'Angelo, J Dilla, Miguel, Anderson Paak, and older references like Smokey Robinson and Carole King. Is that a fair guess at where you draw your inspiration?

Mcamp: Yeah, I listen to all those artists you mentioned there quite a bit. D'Angelo a ton and J Dilla too, obviously. I think if we talk about "sexy in the morning", there's a lot of Motown references, even with some of the drum programming. I'm really trying to take that sound and make it appear in my music while having the modern aspects still very present. That's kinda where that old stuff comes in, with the vocal line and the melody and the swing. I feel people don't swing enough anymore; that's where J Dilla comes in.

IW: We've got a cool picture of your music references here but what I'm not understanding is your Instagram bio. Where does Jimmy Buffett come into this?

M: Haha yeah, so Jimmy Buffett was my first concert ever. I was probably seven, I just remember that show, and I thought that was so fun. I look to the left, and I see this 40-year-old woman take off her top and throw her bra onstage, and I'm like, "what the hell", people were throwing flip flops in a good way, I guess? Yeah, I think he was my first show and his career, any artist would aspire to have. It's kinda a joke, but he's kinda cool.

IW: So, was this the moment you decided music was what you had to do?

M: The first time I actually realized music was dope, I was in sixth grade, and I went to the band room with four or five girls, and I started playing songs. They're all kinda like gassing me up, and I'm like, "this shit is sick" and in some ways, I think the young Jimmy Buffett comparison works. I think he said he started making music to get a girl; I could be wrong, don't quote me on that one but yeah, me as a middle schooler singing for the ladies on the piano.

In a weird way, I think what really shaped the music I make nowadays is the pop music on the radio when I was growing up. I think 2005-12 is such a great example of how pop music is so beautifully intricate in the most simple way—the age of Max Martin, who is literally the best songwriter. I just think there was a lot of that kinda R&B pop, with synths and the club dance kinda feel. I've been bumping "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry, as embarrassing as that might be. People always rip on pop music, like "it's so simple", and I'm like if it's so simple, why don't you make a number one hit then. There is so much artistry and musicianship that goes into making a record like that. It's crazy how everything fits into place.

Writer's Note: In his own words, Jimmy Buffett did "get into music to meet girls."

IW: Tell us about "sexy in the morning", where did this song come from? Did it begin at those opening Rhodes chords, or maybe a specific lyric or beat?

M: This specific song came from just the lyric 'sexy in the morning'. I came up with that idea early in quarantine, and I figured that was a really dope idea because it was simple and memorable, and catchy. It was a simple idea. It wasn't like sex in the morning, which you know to me just gives it away, so I just thought that was such a great title, and I sat on that for months. I couldn't quite figure out the right instrumental for the lyric, and I went through a bunch, and eventually, I had Covid in late august. I quarantined in this hotel, and I got my mic and interface. I started making this beat and singing 'sexy in the morning' over it and freestyling some ideas, and eventually, it started coming to me, and this beat started feeling really good. Actually, it was the beat you ended up hearing, in a way, with the same groove and everything. I wrote the chords in quarantine, and after I got back, I met my girlfriend, and that was the inspiration, you know I hadn't seen a girl in so long it was hard to write one of those sort of sexual R&B live ballads.

IW: What is your process like as an artist? You mix, engineer, and produce all your music. How has this helped "sexy in the morning"?

M: Um, I think being in school is a big thing. I'm a popular music performance major, so basically, we go through historically significant music and play these records exactly how they were on the recording. I think that has been a huge developmental success for me because you can make sounds that are authentic and exactly how they did them, and that's how you get those old school references in my music because I spent the time studying those. I continue to spend the time studying them. The main thing is just doing it, man, and there's no substitute for just going up into your bedroom and just making something every day for a few hours, that will make you grow so much quicker than anything else.

I think what's cool about "sexy in the morning" is, it wasn't so much "I'm going to take this specific element, and I'm going to do this". At a certain point, the material you've studied becomes part of your inner repertoire, and it just starts coming out on its own without having to think about it, and that's just what sexy in the morning was like. Sidenote, that's why I like producing so much. I think you just write different songs if you produce first and write to that, as opposed to picking up a guitar or sitting on the piano, and that's why so many songwriters when they're starting can't get out of that "goddammit I wrote another ballad". It's hard to infer rhythm when you're playing a keyboard part unless you're D'Angelo, but you know most people aren't.

Written by George Barnett

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IndiewavvesFebruary 10, 2021