Songs with confessional lyrics are often described as feeling like a page from the writer’s journal, but in Lizzy Cameron’s case, that feeling is literal. This rising singer-songwriter has kept a journal since she was in second grade, and it’s helped her to connect with her emotions in a way that’s made her vulnerable lyrics even more impactful and touching. Songs like “Faking It,” “Never Met You,” and “We Were Friends” capture moments and memories so well that you feel like you’re going through the same thing, even if you haven’t gone through a similar experience.
“I have a huge stack of filled ones dating back to elementary school and I always keep them with me,” Lizzy tells TREMG. “Not, like, on my person lol, but in every apartment I move to, etc. because I think in this industry, things move really fast. It’s so easy to keep thinking, ‘Okay, what’s next? What’s next?’ But lately, I’ve started going back into those journals covered in dust and reading what I was going through, how I thought about the world, etc. just to remind myself how much I’ve grown and how far I’ve come.”
Being so in tune with her own emotions and energy has also helped Lizzy when it comes to performing others’ work and relating to the words they’ve written. Her most recent release is a stunning cover of Harry Styles’ hit “As It Was” with stories, a group of musicians who invite the most impressive underground stars onto their YouTube channel to do reimagined renditions of popular songs. With a different arrangement and a more mellow feeling, Lizzy and stories’ version of “As It Was” lends itself to the song’s nostalgia and melancholy that doesn’t shine through quite as much on the original, more upbeat track.
“Literally one day I opened Instagram and Ryan Lerman had dm’ed me saying, ‘Yo you have a sick voice, wanna come do a Stories session?'” Lizzy explains. “And I replied, ‘yup definitely do haha.’ Honestly, the story isn’t that interesting, but they were just envisioning a really well-known song by a male singer and sent me a list of options! ‘As It Was’ was on there and after singing it around the house for a few days it felt good so I said yes and we gave it a shot! I love how the arrangement ended up turning out and had such a fun time with their whole team and crew.”
With the success of her stories cover boosting Lizzy to a new, passionate audience, as well as shining as a songwriting major at the University of Southern California, Lizzy is ready to take the world (and your playlists) by storm. She’s mastered both writing and knowing when not to write, proving that nothing can stop her even if she’s feeling overwhelmed or uninspired.
“I want to say something smart here and give some kind of stellar advice, but sometimes you just have to walk away for a little bit,” Lizzy admits. “Sit with whatever it is. The words, the melody, the chords, the feelings. Over Covid, I really struggled to create and realized that you can be doing the work even if you aren’t sitting at a piano or have a pen in your hand. Don’t be afraid to sit for a little while. The only catch is you do have to get back up eventually and finish what you start. Maybe that’s better advice: even if it’s AWFUL and I hate what I’m making, finish it. Then you can sleep on it and revisit it tomorrow, but you DID it.”
Even if you sleep on your creative work, make sure you don’t sleep on Lizzy Cameron and her moving artistry. She has an immensely bright future ahead of her, so get ahead of the curve and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter! Keep reading for more from our conversation with this thought-provoking singer-songwriter.
In one sentence, who is Lizzy Cameron, for those who aren’t familiar with your work?
Lizzy Cameron is a 22-year-old singer/songwriter and pop artist writing about her life as a 20-something young woman figuring out who she is and what she wants.
For anyone who hasn’t listened to your music already, which of your songs would you recommend to them to get a feel for who you are as an artist?
“Never Met You!!!” All of my friends’ favorite. (And no one would probably expect this one but honorable mention for “Even Then,” my first little baby I recorded when I was 14 or 15. She’s just special too)
One of the main things that stands out about your music is your thoughtful lyrics, which really paint a vivid picture of the feelings behind them. How do you feel you’ve grown as a lyricist over the years, and who are some of your influences when it comes to writing?
Oh gosh, I think I’ve grown so much over the years. I started out very melody-driven and lyrics were more of an afterthought, but I really dived into words in the last year or two. Funnily enough, now I’m trying to get away from words a tiny bit more so I can be more musical lol, but it’s just constantly flowing and changing depending on what a certain song calls for! My favorite writers right now: Leith Ross, Rachael Jenkins, Amy Allen, Lizzy McAlpine, Taylor Swift (duh), literally many… it’s so hard. TikTok has also put me on to so many insane writers. All time is, like, Dolly Parton, Stevie Knicks, Carole King, the list goes on.
Your latest release is “As It Was,” a Harry Styles cover you collaborated on with stories. What brought you and stories together, and what drew you to “As It Was?”
Literally one day I opened Instagram and Ryan Lerman had dm’ed me saying, “Yo you have a sick voice, wanna come do a Stories session?” And I replied, “yup definitely do haha.” Honestly, the story isn’t that interesting, but they were just envisioning a really well-known song by a male singer and sent me a list of options! “As It Was” was on there and after singing it around the house for a few days it felt good so I said yes and we gave it a shot! I love how the arrangement ended up turning out and had such a fun time with their whole team and crew.
When you were younger, you were focused on sports like horseback riding, volleyball, and basketball. Is there anything you learned during that time that has helped you in your music career?
Absolutely! I come from a very sports-oriented family and have three older brothers, so I’m no stranger to hard work and tough love. Sports taught me repetition, practice, work ethic, drive, and most importantly, how to be a team player. Music can seem so individual–and sometimes it is–but it really is such a collaborative thing and I love working with other people on my stuff, so it’s just helped me to communicate and work well with others, I think! Also just never giving up no matter what “no’s” I get or what challenges come up.
You’ve loved journaling since second grade, and it must be so special getting to capture so many memories over the years! What’s your favorite thing about journaling, and how has it impacted your songwriting?
Yessss ugh, I’m so glad I’ve kept a journal since I was young. I have a huge stack of filled ones dating back to elementary school and I always keep them with me. Not, like, on my person lol, but in every apartment I move to, etc. because I think in this industry, things move really fast. It’s so easy to keep thinking, “Okay, what’s next? What’s next?” But lately, I’ve started going back into those journals covered in dust and reading what I was going through, how I thought about the world, etc. just to remind myself how much I’ve grown and how far I’ve come. Journaling is great for anxiety, too, because when everything is rolling around in your head, it can feel like life or death, just so daunting and huge. But putting things down on paper and being able to kind of look at my thoughts in a way has helped me be more rational and calm myself down in times of panic or crisis. Also, I just gottttta spill the tea for older Lizzy to look back on and laugh at in a few years. I will literally be writing something down with the older me in mind and even that makes me feel better–knowing I’ll make it past and get to look back. I don’t want to forget the details!
After taking a little break from working on music, you picked up steam in your senior year of high school and got into every single music college you applied to. What was it like for you to not only return to what you loved, but to get recognized for it in such a big way as well?
Validating! Maybe it was in my head, but I definitely think some kids at my high school thought I was crazy for only applying to four schools, only for music, and to be pursuing it at this level haha. I remember having so much doubt in my abilities at the time and wondering if the risk was worth it, but it absolutely was and I feel so lucky!
When you’re feeling like you’ve hit a creative block, how do you push through?
I want to say something smart here and give some kind of stellar advice, but sometimes you just have to walk away for a little bit. Sit with whatever it is. The words, the melody, the chords, the feelings. Over Covid, I really struggled to create and realized that you can be doing the work even if you aren’t sitting at a piano or have a pen in your hand. Don’t be afraid to sit for a little while. The only catch is you do have to get back up eventually and finish what you start. Maybe that’s better advice: even if it’s AWFUL and I hate what I’m making, finish it. Then you can sleep on it and revisit it tomorrow, but you DID it.
We at TREMG love getting to know new artists who haven’t gotten the success or attention they deserve. Who are some of your favorite underrated artists at the moment?
AH love this!!! Right now I love Leith Ross, Sophie Holohan, Carol Ades, Rachael Jenkins, Devon Again, Alix Page. Amazing singer-songwriters, all of them.
What can your fans look forward to in 2023?
Newwww musiccccc 🙂 more truth, less intense production, lots of words.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention that the questions didn’t touch on?
Honestly no, y’all killed this, thanks for having me and taking the time! <3
