CAMP 8 SHARES GLISTENING NEW SINGLE 'HONEY'
Today, NZ born, Melbourne-based artist Camp 8 shares his new single 'Honey'. The release showcases Camp 8's bold vocals and authentic lyricism, complemented by a spacious, gentle and deeply uplifting instrumental arrangement. Produced by Stephan Mowat (Tyne-James Organ, Ali Barter, BLESSED), 'Honey' is a taste of what's to come from Camp 8's in 2021. The single is accompanied by a cinematic and stunning live performance of the single, recorded at Aviary Studios in Melbourne.
On the single, Reuben Apirana (aka Camp 8), details: 'Honey is my attempt at an upbeat track. I wanted it to replicate the headspace I was in when I wrote it. The song is about all the things that went through my head when my now fiancé asked me to marry her and it kind of documents the progression of my brain throughout that period of my life. For me, this song is an exciting first step into something a bit brighter for Camp 8. It was the first song I wrote after the EP was finished and It felt like a really natural direction for the project to head. It’s my version of a joyous song and I hope listeners will feel that too.'
STREAM/LISTEN TO ‘HONEY’ HERE
Radiating warmth, hope and richness into a world that needs these things more than ever, NZ-born, Melbourne-based Camp 8 (the project of Reuben Apirana) produces music that is equal parts hopeful and heartsick - an embrace for lost souls.Raised in the coastal hideaway of Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, Apirana was 'always drawn to the art of songwriting', a passion and pursuit that ran deep in the young musician’s veins. Cutting his teeth on the family piano, the instrument wasn’t something Apirana felt he chose, but rather something that undoubtedly chose him. He grew up on a balanced diet of his mother’s classical music interests and his father’s love of the guitar, amalgamating a broad range of influences to go on and forge his own musical journey when in 2015, Apirana moved to Melbourne and formed his penultimate project: Camp 8.
Reuben Apirana’s voice is a once-in-a-lifetime marvel. Deep, rounded and gripping in its authenticity, it floats effortlessly above a technicolour palette of tender instrumental arrangements - spacious, gentle, and deeply uplifting. And yet, the result of his first few years in Melbourne was anything but. As more and more songs poured out of the slither of time in which a major, five year-long relationship ended, Apirana pivoted. His songwriting became not only a way of life, but an inescapable tool of healing - both for himself, and those who adore his music. Painted by streaks of Justin Vernon’s (Bon Iver) penchant for emotional exploration, the captivating aural vastness of a Radiohead record, and gorgeous, pop-peppered chordal structures you might find glowing amidst a Frank Ocean album, Camp 8’s output is unique, and one for the ages.
'Honey' is no different. A cohesive exploration of love, hesitation and big, bold, brand-new beginnings, the creation of this latest release alongside producer, Stephen Mowat (Gretta Ray, WILSN, Ariela Jacobs) had Apirana imagining a 'bright shade of orange' as opposed to the darker tones of his back catalogue. A love letter to the person who reinvigorated his world, Honey is a salve for anyone who’s ever felt the twang of deepening relationships and the waves of change they afford us. And like the gratifying depth, breadth and all- encompassing sense of direction that Camp 8’s releases will offer us in 2021 and beyond, there’s only one expression for this incredible piece of art: it feels like home.
To mark the release, Camp 8 will be performing at Small Time tonight, May 6th.
Small Time Presents: Camp 8
Venue: Small Time, Brunswick VIC
Date: Thursday 6th May 8.30pm
Stream/Watch
Camp 8 'Honey' Single Tour
Fri 28 May | Oxford Art Gallery, Sydney NSW
Thu 17 June | The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick VIC
CAMP 8 'HONEY' OUT NOW
Praise for Camp 8
'Fusing phenomenal vocals with some exquisite production, Camp 8 aren't about to back down from a challenge.'
- Clash
'If you’ve been paying attention to the world of music, then Camp 8 might just be one name that has been slowly appearing on your radar as time has gone by.'
- Rolling Stone AU
'It’s not often an artist comes along that truly blows your mind. Sometimes though, an artist does just that. That is the case for Camp 8'
- Tonedeaf