Today we’d like to introduce you to Dori Cameron and the Invisible Monsters.
Dori, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Since I was very young, I always considered myself a singer and writer. When I lived out in Southern California, I was a singer in an all-girl punk rock choir. It was such an amazing time in my life, and I loved being on stage. When circumstances led me back to the east coast, I felt lost because singing and making music became a major part of my life. A new friend at the time (fellow female musician Liss Victory) encouraged me to start playing guitar. I bought a used Takamine G series acoustic guitar in the parking lot of a Wendy’s in Pittsburgh, PA and my journey as a musician began. My goal was to form a band, and I thought it would take years to piece together. I thankfully met a group of talented musicians here in Boston, Tom Majkut, Jesse Buday, and Benjamin Buday, who have their own band called “Look Sharp”. I performed as a solo act at a show they were also playing, and after my set I announced I was looking to form a band. I didn’t think anything would come of it, truly. But when they got on stage and started playing, I prayed that they’d want to work with me. Thankfully, they did! That was October of last year and we’ve never looked back!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
There is definitely an art to writing songs and bringing them to life – an art that we love exploring as a band. I write songs from personal experiences about events everyone goes through, but don’t always talk about. The inspiration behind most of our songs is that I looked to music to comfort me, but couldn’t find a song that expressed exactly what I was feeling. Some themes in our music include grief, PTSD, addiction, and redemption. As a band, we try to capture and evoke the intense feelings involved. We work so well together, I am amazed at times. By pinpointing strong emotions and claiming them through music, it’s easier to overcome them. My hope is that people who hear our songs will relate to them and be encouraged to write music themselves. I’d like to mention that our band is just beginning and we have tons of more songs to write together! I am so thankful for Tom, Jesse, and Ben – I hit the jackpot with them!
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I definitely believe the role of artists has changed. The advances of social media and technology are a catch-22. Social media, Facebook, and texting can either make people feel more connected over distances, or more isolated and lonely. It’s difficult to determine how much technology is affecting Americans as a whole, since it is developing so quickly and becoming such a large part of our lives. In this day and age, art is survival! As an artist, I find it necessary and critical to explore depth of emotions by using instruments and voices. As a band, we explore an array of emotions and communicate universal feelings by creating and performing new music. This medium of art works for us, and I strongly encourage everyone I know to create art in any way that feels right to them.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Our next show is WRECK THE HALLS with the Street Dogs and Slapshot on Saturday, December 15th at Brighton Music Hall in Brighton, MA
People can listen and purchase songs and merchandise via our bandcamp site, at http://doricameron.bandcamp.com/
They may also see videos, photos, upcoming shows, and sign up for our mailing list at http://www.DoriCameron.com
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.DoriCameron.com
- Phone: 724-777-1466
- Email: DoriCameronMusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: @DoriCameron
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DoriCameronMusic
- Twitter: @Dori_Cameron
- Other: http://doricameron.bandcamp.com
Image Credit:
Ken Kerr
Matt Tieuli
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