“It’s just you. If this album fails miserably, and people say it sucks, then it’s on me, too. And that’s fine.“
You might know singer/songwriter Cameron Keiber from bands like Eldridge Rodriguez or The Beatings but we know him as the person responsible for some of the silliest back and forth with the front person for Deprogrammer Cult (Erik Scott, then of Jack Burton Vs. David LoPan) during episodes of the long since defunct Deathkiss Radio on WEMF (RIP to both the station and host Mary Frances Church). Because of that alone, we’ve been fans of his ever since. It does help that the music he creates is pretty stellar, too, so we were obviously elated to find out that Keiber had a solo record on the way. And upon hearing Nurser (Out now on Midriff Records), we were even more ecstatic to be able to touch base with Cameron about how the album came about, what separates Nurser from other projects, and so much more! In fact! The “so much more” was enough that we decided to split up the interview into two parts because there’s no such thing as too much Cameron Keiber!
Part 1:
Following years with The Beatings and now with Eldridge Rodriguez (Who show no signs of stopping with a new album in the works following Atrophy in 2023), the obvious question when it comes to a solo album of any sort is why was the now the right time? And sometimes, the answer is kinda simple:
“The fact is, I just write a lot. I write a LOT. We were already writing the Eldridge Rodriguez album and I felt like I couldn’t pile on more stuff with those guys because, you know, they’re still learning the 12 or 15 or 20 songs I already brought them. So it’s just like, well, maybe I can record this myself? Maybe I can play everything myself. Maybe I can just do this myself and just have this little thing. So that was really it. I just kind of like recording and I didn’t wanna pile on band. I start recording it and playing everything myself, and then by somewhere around the end of last year, I was like, ‘Wow, this is kind of done!’ This is a legit album. I should probably put it out.”
Even within their own discography’s sometimes, the sounds from record to record of both Eldridge Rodriguez and The Beatings tend to be sonically very much their own thing. So, too, is Nurser especially as the album leans into programming more with little outside help beyond Mel Lederman on piano for two tracks and ER bandmate David Grabowski assisting on programming and additional guitar. And that, as Keiber elaborates, was all part of the plan:
“I definitely had an idea what I wanted. I knew I wanted to have this kind of like late night soundtrack/Neil Young After The Gold Rush era thing. Some of it turned out like that, some it didn’t, some of it got a little bit more grand. But I kind of like the idea of taking Trap beats and messing around with beats with an acoustic guitar. I’m sure it’s been done. Also, because it was the first time I was kind of recording all by my lonesome, it was easier to say, okay, well, here’s the acoustic track. Let me put some beats to it and keep with this kind of acoustic piano-y aesthetic. I just really wanted this album that you kind of put on late at night, like after a show or after coming back from the bar and you’re just kind of hanging out, late night into the morning kind of thing. So I knew that going in and I knew that in the middle and then I don’t know that that’s what I came out with.”
Being a part of several bands, and having already admitted to being a prolific songwriter, we were curious how much of Nurser was built from pieces or songs from other outfits. Turns out not much as Keiber explained:
“I know ‘Sons and Daughters’ goes back at least 10, 15 years. I think ‘Sons and Daughters’ goes back to Beatings-era and that just didn’t work with that band. I think that’s the only one. For the most part, the acoustic-y stuff doesn’t work with my other projects. Because I write so much, now I’m having trouble remembering what’s on this album versus what’s on the solo album that I’m recording now versus what’s on the ER album I’m recording now. I just started writing the other ones kind of knowing the direction I wanted to head in.”
With Keiber writing solely for himself on Nurser, we wondered if that opened up the opportunity to touch on topics he might not necessarily have tackled previously in a band setting:
“There’s stuff like like ‘Black Bear’, about my father’s death, that I wouldn’t do with a full band. I think that in band situations, particularly as a lyricist, you’re not just responsible for how you present yourself, but also how you present everybody else you’re playing with. I don’t know that, even with Clayton (Keiber, guitar. Also, brother) playing with me in ER, that I would have been comfortable bringing that song to the band. Some things only work for me, personally. There’s something very freeing recording by yourself because you’re just in a room by yourself. You don’t have to be embarrassed about shitty lyrics that you might change later. It’s really freeing. There’s some subject matter that overlaps, but there’s certainly more personal stuff on Nurser than any of the other albums I’ve done. I mean ‘Sons and Daughters’ didn’t really work with The Beatings or ER. But it does work when I did it myself. Not that I couldn’t have done it with them. I think I felt more comfortable just doing it myself and not having to represent anybody else’s views. Even though we all have the same opinions (laughs). Everybody that I play with is super, SUPER Left of Liberal… but, you know, you’re responsible for your bandmates and you don’t want to present them in a way they might not appreciate.”
Expanding off of that, we were interested to know if Cameron felt more pressure this time outside of a band structure:
“I didn’t feel any pressure at all. It was really freeing. it was really nice. To the point where, when I finished this and this was done, I started recording another one. It’s incredibly freeing. Just to not have to answer to anybody, not that I have to answer to anybody in any other projects. It’s nice to not have to ask permission or not have to say, ‘Hey, that wasn’t the bass line I was thinking of…’ or ‘That’s not the guitar line I was thinking of.’ It’s just you. If this album fails miserably, and people say it sucks, then it’s on me, too. And that’s fine. I’m totally comfortable at failure. I wouldn’t want to put bandmates in that position. It’s the first time I’ve used beats. We’ve used them in ER as auxiliary stuff, but we always had Dennis (Grabowski) playing drums. It’s the first time I’ve kind of just let them go. And if people don’t like that, I don’t wanna bring my friends into that shit. Let it fall on me, that’s fine.”
Nurser is out now on Midriff Records and you can get your copy by heading here! If you’d like to find out what we thought of the record you can head here for our recent review and for all of the rest of Cameron Keiber-related music and news, including upcoming shows like the one Eldridge Rodriguez has supporting ORBIT at Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre with Harris (Direct ticket link here for your convenience) on May 30th, follow the trail of socials when you click here, here, or here.