INTERVIEW - Cameron Hayes

By Tegan 5/5/25

May 3rd 2025 at 12 o clock, Melodify’s first (and definitely last) interview on zoom. This interview was with the LOVELY Cameron Hayes who was so perfect to chat with! She makes a variety of music, so you will definitely find something that's a bit of you. From covers, to drum and bass, to house, and even to alternative music as a whole, Cameron's vocals and instrumental skills are not something to miss!

Unfortunately, zoom lied to me, and said that the interview would be filmed but it was not! We also got cut off halfway through the questions because of our very long chat discussing the niche scent of coming out of a venue after a gig..

Our chat began with classic British small talk; the weather. Cameron makes a new revolutionary idea- keeping the blinds shut when it's sunny, then it “won’t get warm”, but quickly contradicts the idea after realising that it just won't work. After discussing the joys of weather and long bank holiday weekends, we jump straight into the actual questions. Was there a moment that made you realise this was your path? Music has always played a huge role in her life. from an early age she was taking classes about music theory and found herself tied to playing piano and all kinds of instruments. The moment that it really clicked that this is her real passion, was at 16 years old, when she was a contestant on the voice. This was a turning point for many reasons, she mentions the lack of confidence she had at the time, because of her stage fright and goes on to explain how overwhelming it was to be stood there with all the cameras on her and all the chairs turned the other way. It was a moment that really clicked because she got to the semi-finals (which is so amazing) and was still so happy with herself, even though people would expect her to be sad about not winning.

Cameron wants her music to spread across all genres, which is why when I asked about covers and future works expanding upon the current genres she responded with a very definite answer. “Drum and bass is quite restrictive as an artist”, she says, before hinting at a future project which still explores house, and drum and bass, but mostly songs she would class as more “normal” and alternative, and some even without drums at all. Her song writing process relies on her mental state, majority of the time. She states “I don't want to be too happy, otherwise all I want to do is go out and enjoy the sunshine!” but also doesn’t want to be too sad otherwise she has no motivation to be writing at all. She has to find the perfect mindset where she is actually in the right mood to write.

Now, it's time for Melodify’s signature question: Favourite track as a meal deal. Before making a decision, she expresses how grateful she is that this interview was “before the release of the mixtape” because she “just wouldn't be able to pick a favourite”. After analysing her Spotify to make sure there are no name drops of unreleased songs, we come to a conclusion of the top 2 songs, those being “Superego” (2020) and “Second Best”, off of her newest EP. She explains her interest in Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory, expanding upon how the psyche is made up of three parts which interact: the id, ego, and the superego. The superego, is responsible for moral standards and conscience. This fascinated Cameron so much, it inspired her to write about it. Before we get too psychological, let's talk about triple breakfast sandwiches. When I asked the big question, I was warned that this meal deal would be a very odd combination. Obviously the triple breakfast is a British staple on Tesco’s shelves, the main event, me personally i'm not that adventurous. We agreed that “there's a bit of everything for everyone” in the sandwich and that everyone loves it. Moving on to the drink, we discussed the absolutely corrupt prices of innocent smoothies, and followed to criticise anyone who actually just buys a normal drink in a meal deal, “they clearly don't have any skills surrounding money saving”. And, to be fair she has a point, you are paying the same price for a meal deal as you are the smoothie so, argue with the wall. Then finally the snack, prawn cocktail crisps, because “they're just the best”.

Moving away from sense of taste we tried to match a scent to her newest EP “Second Best. “definitely palo santo, it's just my favourite smell, and i think i just associate things i love with that smell to be honest with you,” (this is influencing me to buy some palo santo.) Not only does she love the scent, but in the writing of her EP, during the creation process of the song “Spend the Night” she was living with her roommate at the time who originally got her into palo santo. I agreed, before suggesting that, to me, it smells of stepping out of a venue after it rains, and someone with a strong perfume walks past. Which, looking back on it, was far from on the nose (pun intended).

For Cameron, visual aesthetics and style play a massive role in her music making. She believes that music videos help a listener see her perspective on the song, and builds their own narrative too. Future works were hinted at, where she will definitely be using more visual aesthetics within her music making.

After speaking for around 40 minutes, we had a very dramatic moment which followed with the meeting ending. Zoom told us we had 1 minute left of our free meeting, so of course I had to sneak in a question about the most awkward experience with a fan. She reassured me that all of her fans are very lovely, so it would be hard to tell, but on one of her european tour dates, a middle aged man started singing to her? Personally I think that is a very valid awkward experience.

Thank you to Cameron Hayes for taking time to let us interview her, and make sure you check her out!!

@iamcameronhayes on most social media platforms,

and Cameron Hayes if you are looking for her music. I am beyond grateful that she was so lovely and enthusiastic about this interview and I know that she is definitely going to go far with her music career with the attitude and mindset she has.