Camille Blackman.
via the artist
The Opener is The FADER’s mini-interview series with exciting new artists we think you should know.
I’ve been lightly obsessed with Camille Blackman since I first heard her music last summer. That’s partly thanks to her evocative acoustic guitar riffs and sweet-toned vocals, but the real reason I fell in love with “can’t have your fish and eat it too” and “the view” was Blackman’s sheer savvy. The broadly relatable emotions in her music gain new life through her twisted idioms and circuitous songwriting, never settling for a predictable punchline.
Take her bittersweet latest “kitchen,” which opens with a brutal, all-too-final breakup. “Said some awful things / but you have said them twice before,” Blackman croons, the pain of parting stuck to her rasped vocals. But even broken down to pieces on the tiled kitchen floor, Blackman finds strength within, even if she isn’t totally ready to let things go: “I’m begging please, but I’d still crawl for miles.”
It’s the latest taste of Blackman’s in-the-works debut album, tentatively scheduled for early 2027 via Mom+Pop. If “kitchen,” “the view,” and late February single “just friends” are any indicator, Blackman’s forthcoming full-length will be a tender rollercoaster, sketching out big emotions with gentle gestures.
The FADER caught up with Camille Blackman over email to chat about growing up in D.C., the ideal level of fame, and how Kurt Vonnegut influenced her songwriting.
The FADER: What’s the coolest thing to do in your hometown?
Camille Blackman: In D.C. we have the National Gallery of Art. My mom would take my brother and I and show us all of her favorite Impressionist paintings. I fell in love with Degas, Cassatt, Monet etc. That was probably the coolest thing to me.
Tell us about the first album you bought.
The first album I ever loved from start to finish was Bloom by Beach House. I had always listened to my dad’s music — 70’s classic rock, motown, or yacht rock — and this album was some of the first music of my own taste that I discovered. It was a beautiful collage of sounds that I had never heard before. To this day it’s one of my favorite projects.
When you’re not making music, how do you spend your free time?
When not making music I spend my free time going to the beach, grabbing a drink (or two, or three) with friends, playing tennis, or collaging.
What was the last movie you watched?
Backrooms. Loved it. Perfect thriller. Uncanny and psychological.
Explain a lyric of yours that people misunderstand.
I don’t believe in misunderstanding lyrics. I write what resonates to me in the moment, and sometimes the meaning doesn’t even come to me until later. There is beauty and power in the listener finding their own meaning in my lyrics, whether or not it’s what I originally aimed for.
What’s a motto you think everyone should live by?
fuck it we ball
What’s the best thing you’ve bought for $100 or less?
My copy of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It was a $16 dollar purchase that got me back into reading and really influenced my relationship with writing and words. I think I'm honestly a much different lyricist because of it.
What’s a song you’d want to remix?
I’ve always loved “Daydreaming” by Aretha Franklin and have always been captivated by the melodies and lyrics of that song. Would be a cool one to interpolate or sample and mess around with.
Tell us about your favorite tattoo.
Probably the stick and poke my best friend Annelies gave to me in our friend's kitchen. It says “wet paint”. At the time it had no significance but now I kinda see it as an ode to always being a work in progress. For a stick and poke it’s held up pretty well.
Worst advice you’ve gotten?
When your friend jumps off a cliff follow them.
Best advice you’ve gotten.
Drop out of college.
Show us the last meme you saved to your phone:
What’s the ideal level of fame and why?
I honestly just hope my music continues to reach the audience that needs to hear it. And if I end up on Hot Ones it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
Describe your perfect afternoon.
Long beach day. Long shower. In-N-Out.
What’s something you’re looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to releasing more music, tying in all my little stories into a larger narrative, and sharing it with the world.
What’s the best concert you’ve attended?
I saw Beach House at The Anthem in DC. I went alone, made it to the front row, and sobbed pretty much the whole time.
What’s the last thing you wrote in your notes app?
hot tomato pizza ?
