We spend two minute with Alex Cameron and find out what’s what…
What’s going on in the world of Alex Cameron?
I’m in my studio ‘The Ken Den’ with Serbian turbo producer Fanny V. We’re mixing my record. He’s a hard task master and he doesn’t speak much English.
But it’s going well. We’re eight tracks in, and we’ve found our sound.
What motivates you to make music?
Fanny V. Man that guy gets in a real sweat if I don’t get the vibe right on a take. One time he destroyed a synthesiser of mine because I patched a delay unit incorrectly. He also likes to yell ‘Tommy Jones’ at me just before he hits record. I think he means the singer not the actor.
What have been the high and low points of your musical experiences so far?
I don’t like to talk about my success. Fanny V says ‘You boast, I roast’. I think he means he doesn’t want me to talk about myself too much. I work weekends at a pizza restaurant rolling dough to make rent. I can’t get any respect at this joint and the owner is a total mess. Good thing is I get to work with my mate Roy Molloy and believe me he could tell you a thing or two. Roy and I used to work the local surf club circuit in a cover band. Playing ‘Reckless’ at the 2007 Aussie’s after party — that was a high point for me.
What music are you listening to at the moment?
Plastic Ono Band, Mind Games, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, Homosapien, Clues, WIXIW, Let’s Dance, Thousand Knives.
If you were stranded on a desert island, which member of the band would get eaten first?
I think Fanny would drown me before we even hit the shore. He’s seen stuff. I once found a set of pictures in his garage from his Serbian days. He’s wearing half a denim suit and swinging a dirty old chain around his head.
Here’s an opportunity to bitch about something, whether music related or not. What really pisses you off?
I went in to Chinatown last night to sing my girl a song at this joint where they’ve got Karaoke. When I got on stage there was an error message — like the song wasn’t loading. They asked me to sing another one for the people but I said no way Jose. If they don’t have my song that gets me the wrong way. It took my girl a few hours to calm me down.
You’re putting together your perfect gig featuring Australian artists? Who would you get to play and where? Feel free to include acts/DJs/bands/venues that no longer exist.
Billy Field Bad Habits Big Band (original line up) — Diggers at the Entrance. He’d ask me to take the lead on ‘You weren’t in love with me’. Flume on bongos effecting them live with his prism box thing.
