Cami Bear marks her return with the unapologetically sharp single, matchacoldbrew, ushering listeners right into a fearless new period outlined by confidence and contradiction. Rejecting expectations to completely embrace instinct, Cami unpacks her contemporary inventive philosophy, inviting us right into a creatively liberated house that feels each vivid and deeply private. Partnering with Atlas Lens Co., whose cinematic credentials embrace groundbreaking movies like All the pieces In every single place All at As soon asand The Batman, she crafts an emotionally tactile universe steeped in glamour and grit. By means of this dialog, Cami candidly discusses the strain between digital experimentation and human imperfection, the braveness behind artistic reinvention, and the significance of celebrating chaos as a lot as polish. With attribute wit and honesty, she provides a look into her latest chapter, difficult her viewers—and herself—to boldly declare their very own contradictions.
Welcome to A&R Manufacturing facility, Cami Bear—it’s a pleasure to have you ever with us as you usher in a daring new chapter with matchacoldbrew. The only indicators a brand new period for you creatively—what sparked the shift, and the way did you method reintroducing your self by yourself phrases?
This shift got here from lastly giving myself permission to create with out overthinking. I used to mildew myself to expectations—whether or not business, aesthetic, or sound—however matchacoldbrew is me trusting my instincts. It’s playful, sassy, and layered, like me. I needed to reintroduce myself with one thing that felt easy but intentional, letting the music and visuals communicate earlier than I did.
Reinvention generally is a highly effective instrument, but it surely additionally comes with threat—how do you navigate shedding previous variations of your self whereas staying rooted in your inventive instincts?
I don’t see reinvention as abandoning previous variations of myself—it’s extra like evolving them. Each chapter of Cami Bear to date has been actual to the place I used to be at the moment. I let my instincts information what stays and what will get left behind. The secret is staying sincere. If a sound, a glance, or an thought doesn’t really feel actual to me anymore, I don’t pressure it.
The collaboration with Atlas Lens Co. provides cinematic weight to your imaginative and prescient—are you able to stroll us by how that partnership fashioned and what it meant to have their backing to your newest video?
The collaboration occurred organically, Atlas Lens Co. teamed up with gifted director and editor Max Lin to hold out this submission-based initiative referred to as “MONTH2MONTH” the place they hand-picked manufacturers and artists to sponsor a video for and highlight month-to-month. I submitted a pitch earlier this yr and Max replied the following day, the remaining was historical past. Having their lenses form this video gave it a timeless high quality. It means all the pieces to know that an organization of such excessive calibre, behind a number of the strongest movies immediately (Anora, All the pieces In every single place all at As soon as, The Batman) and ever is now a part of my story too. I’m so grateful to their complete crew and everybody concerned. I’m nonetheless wrapping my head round it.
You’ve talked about your dedication to constructing worlds to your followers—what emotional and visible cues had been non-negotiable when setting up the universe of Matcha Chilly Brew?
It needed to really feel tactile like you could possibly step into it. I needed viewers and listeners to relive that night time and that morning with me. Channeling one thing so oddly particular by artwork is difficult however we caught to our intestine and opted for the main points that deliver you to that place, irrespective of how area of interest. Cinematic lighting and motion had been non-negotiables. By way of visuals, we needed it to move you to the darkest locations of the morning after whereas nonetheless retaining it fabulous, this goes for styling as effectively. Emotionally, I needed a stability of dreaminess and sass—one thing surreal but unapologetically me. I performed with distinction quite a bit: mushy moments with sharp edges, fantasy with actuality. It’s all about duality for me.
You usually talk about embracing contradictions—how do these themes of chaos and polish, glamour and grit, floor in each the sonic and visible components of this launch?
Excessive distinction is my factor, we actually needed to make it pop right here. To place it in the simplest phrases this complete tune is about embracing the great within the dangerous. I took my Sunday Scaries spin on that. I requested my artistic crew: How can we make the ugly feel and look glamorous? How can we make lyrics about dangerous occasions really feel cute? Hearken to the tune immediately and watch the video on April 18th, I feel we did an amazing job at answering these questions.
You push boundaries not simply musically however conceptually—how does expertise inform the emotional layers of your sound, and the place do you draw the road between digital precision and human vulnerability?
I’ve at all times stated that an enormous a part of my mission as a artistic is to bridge the hole between expertise and feelings. I play with expertise quite a bit. Expertise permits me to discover textures and moods I haven’t fairly discovered the phrases for. However irrespective of how a lot I experiment, I at all times depart room for imperfection. That’s the place the human facet is available in. I’m drawn to first takes, breaths between phrases, issues that really feel alive, and visuals that don’t really feel conventionally good.
With reinvention on the coronary heart of this challenge, how has your relationship together with your viewers advanced—and what do you hope they take away from this model of Cami Bear?
I feel my viewers is rising with me. They’re seeing me take artistic dangers, and hopefully, that’s making house for them to do the identical in their very own lives. I would like them to remove the concept that reinvention isn’t about fixing your self—it’s about uncovering who you’ve been all alongside. Meaning embracing your errors, your boldness, your messiness—each unpolished and chaotic a part of your self. I would like them to really feel unapologetically them and to take up house with out second-guessing it. And truthfully, I simply assume it’s hilarious that I’m conveying all of this by the time I walked dwelling from a one-night stand. I really like artwork!
As this chapter begins, what’s retaining you energised behind the scenes—are there any habits, collaborators or artistic rituals fuelling this present momentum?
Collaboration retains me impressed. I’ve been working with individuals who problem me in the very best methods, pushing me exterior my consolation zone. Additionally, each day rituals—matcha within the morning (after all), figuring out, and spending time offline. Defending my power is essential to retaining this momentum going.
Stream Cami Bear on Spotify.
Interview by Amelia Vandergast
