Camille Christel is performing at Rock City Beta for Beat The Streets Festival this Sunday, so we thought we’d have a chat. She has a haunting, beautiful sound, championed by the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC 6 Music and Dean Jackson of BBC Introducing.
Camille Christel Interview
Your music has a very ethereal, dreamy quality, what can people expect from your live show?
I want my live shows to be an experience, the music is very ambient and I hope people get lost in this. I’ll be accompanied by Deirdre Bencsik who has played Cello with me since I was a kid and James Cahill who is one of my best mates, he is an exceptional keyboard player. I will also be premiering some brand new tracks which I have never played live before.
Your singles are named after places which is intriguing, how come? Nottingham’s own Goldsmith Street in amongst Copenhagen and Chicago is a nice touch!
Each track is related to each place in their own unique way, I don’t think I will ever want to share the relationship between track and place with the listener; I want them to listen to the singles and connect them to their own life and experiences, not mine. Goldsmith Street is a place where I have spent many hours throughout my life, attending gigs and nights out. Nottingham is the inspiration behind this track, so it only felt right to call it Goldsmith Street.
Camille Christel at Wollaton Park, Nottingham
Looking forward to hearing the new music! We’ve heard you played at Glastonbury when you were younger? What was that like?
I played the festival at 15 and 18, both times playing with the BE Collective, these experiences were amazing, a dream for any musician. I was really fortunate to play this iconic festival at such a young age, it is something I will never forget and hopefully get the chance to do it again.
We’re celebrating our 40th Birthday this year and are looking back on our history. Do you have any fond memories of Rock City?
Rock City has been a venue I’ve loved forever, I saw my first ever live gig there when I was around 14, which was ‘War on Drugs’ and have continued to attend gigs there to this day. To headline at Rock City is one of my biggest career dreams.
Camille Christel at Nottingham Contemporary.
Fingers crossed, one day! So Beat The Streets is a great way to kick off your 2020. What else do you have planned for the year?
I have a new single coming out in the coming months and my debut EP will follow, I am really excited about getting these songs out there. The new single is very different to my tracks which are currently out at the moment, it’s loud and bold. I will be playing it live for the first time on Sunday at Beat the Streets.
Thanks for the chat! We wish you all the best with the new EP, can’t wait to hear the new songs on Sunday!
Intrigued? Get more of Camille Cristel: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify or listen below!
Camille Christel | Beat the Streets
Camille will be appearing downstairs at Rock City Beta on Sunday 26th January at 17.30.
Also, Beat The Streets is a fundraising festival, with proceeds going to help Nottingham’s homeless. Find out more now.
Additionally, see our guide to Beat The Streets at Rock City with all the set times you need.
Finally, tickets are priced from just £10.
Rock City Nottingham
Also, while you’re at it, why not check out our gig guide and see if any of your favourite artists are playing soon! Additionally, we have our other club nights that come up on a Thursday (Tuned), Friday (Get Lucky) and Saturday (Rebel Rebel) so check those out too!
Words: AJ Stevenson
