Written By Laura Curry
Listeners are encouraged to prepare for a “New Dynasty,” in the form of Camryn’s upcoming five-song EP, which is set for release on July 15.
The Denver-born, LA-based singer and songwriter has multiple long-term tours and chart-topping singles such as “Lovesick” and “Now or Never” under her colorful belt. The most impressive part is that she is just 16 years old, which leaves plenty of time for her goal of world domination in the music industry.
Camryn’s pop/rock music is punctuated with catchy choruses and empowering lyrics, which complement her bold and vibrant voice. The New Dynasty EP infuses pop-oriented songs with rock elements and more “modern” sounds including EDM elements of synthesizers, bass drops and varied drum beats. This creates a memorable twist of genres that will keep listeners singing along, even after the songs are over.
Drawing inspiration from rock and pop artists such as Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna and P!nk, Camryn paves the way to a new generation of multi-genre-loving listeners.
As a 16-year-old, Camryn has done an extensive amount of touring in the United States and abroad with artists such as Cody Simpson and Greyson Chance as well as One Direction for their Up All Night Tour in the U.S. and their Take Me Home Tour in Europe.
While growing up on the road was tricky, she managed to work through school while touring. It taught her responsibility and how to achieve her goals even in a time crunch. “It taught me how to manage my time,” Camryn said. “I grew up with an older crowd so that alone made me mature a little faster.”
All of the touring has given Camryn the experience of playing in front of a huge variety of crowds. This means the amazing ones that are up and dancing to the not-so-amazing ones that are sitting down. “Being able to cater my performance to both crowds—to continue the excitement or build up more excitement has been a major key in performing,” Camryn said.
Being young in the music industry means proving that you are mature, Camryn said. While it’s tricky to navigate around those people, Camryn has a positive outlook on her position as a young artist.
“I think ultimately, being young is on my side,” Camryn said. “No one really hates being young. I could have ten years put into my career and I’ll still only be in my 20’s. I’m able to have experience on my side at a younger age.”
While Camryn’s music is primarily guitar-driven rock and pop, she’s been experimenting with new sounds like electronic dance music. “I always try to stay current with what’s out and for example, a lot of people are listening to House,” Camryn said. “One of the things I incorporated into my single “Machines” is a slight electronic tone.”
Camryn intends on creating a new genre that covers all of the bases. “I want to be the Modern Rock Star, the modern version of your Paramore’s, or your Led Zeppelins mixed with your Beyonce’s and even The Weeknd,” she said. “It’s gotta be something new and different.”
She explained that theoretically, she could go straight to creating classic rock ‘n’ roll music. “But what’s the fun in that since that’s already been done,” Camryn said. “I’m just trying to create something new that people don’t really hear that often.”
The New Dynasty EP combines genres to create something distinct and new for listeners.
In one sentence, the EP tells listeners: “You are your own person and it’s your time to do what you have always wanted to do, whether that’s to be a legend, or to take over the world like a machine,” Camryn said.
Upon first listen, it is easy to tell that the theme of New Dynasty centers on power, strength and working hard to achieve your goals. This is most prominent in songs like “Legends” and “Machines,” which fill listeners with a feeling of empowerment.
This EP shows what is to come in Camryn’s career. It gives the audience a really good idea of what she’s all about. “The title itself represents a new generation or dynasty of artists and musicians—every creative person in my generation who is about to come into their industry at full force,” she said. “We are, essentially, the new dynasty.”
Track 1 on the EP, “Legends,” also evokes the idea of a new dynasty. “There are so many legendary artists out there,” Camryn said. “You have your Prince’s and your Michael Jackson’s and your Beyoncé’s and they are all absolutely incredible. I can only try to achieve the goals that they have. So as the New Dynasty, I hope I can do them justice.”
Camryn explained that “Legends” was created during a time in her life when she had written a lot of songs about boys and being heartbroken, or making up again and being happy. She was tired of writing about her own struggles with love, so she decided to write something that would inspire others.
“There are so many songs out there about love and breakups and makeups and friendship—fun little things,” Camryn said. “There’s always a need for music that’s empowering. People need to feel empowered.”
Music can deliver a message of empowerment to listeners. Going back to Rihanna’s “Rockstar 101,” Camryn explained that this song made her feel a certain way when she heard it. To sum it up, there aren’t enough songs out there that make her feel something and she wants to change that. “That feeling needs to be more common. People need to understand that they can do whatever they set their mind to,” Camryn said. “Everyone wants to achieve all that they can in their fields. My goal is to help motivate people and create more positivity.”
When it comes to the songwriting process, Camryn likes to write to tracks. They’ll talk about a certain feeling that they want to create, whether it’s something big or sultry and then they create the track and the music. From there, they come up with a melody and write the lyrics. “The music is just as important as the lyrical content,” Camryn said. “If I don’t feel like the music is right, then there’s no point in continuing with the song.”
She explains that depending on what the music sounds like, they’ll pick a certain subject for the song. On the topic of lyrical content, sometimes they are phrases that people say on a daily basis. “It just depends on what comes to you,” Camryn said. “If there’s ever something that I find interesting, like maybe a quote, I’ll write it down and take parts from it later or use it as inspiration. Other times I’m just in the mood to write a song and I need to express myself.”
Camryn said with a laugh that along with world domination in the music industry, she would like to share her music with everyone throughout the world.
For short-term goals, she would like to go out on a headlining tour within the next five years.
“I want to keep doing what I love and that’s singing and performing,” Camryn said. “As long as I’m loving what I do, then I’ll be happy no matter where I am.”
