Camino brings emotion and soul into each record he creates. Residing in Atlanta by way of Mississippi, the singer-songwriter arrives with one hell of a vocal range, fusing his own blend of skyscraping soulful pop. Inspired by a wide range of genres and artists, from Muddy Waters and B.B. King to Elvis Presley to Rick Ross, Camino is an anomaly in the music industry, here to defy all boundaries.
The acoustic video for his song “Burning Fire,” premiered today exclusively on Flaunt. Written from the perspective of his grieving uncle who had lost his wife of 65-years, Camino pours all of the emotions of love and loss into the song. “Burning Fire” can be found on his debut EP of the same name, arriving on April 23rd.
_Flaunt_ caught up with Camino to discuss his upbringing, the turning point in his music career, signing to Def Jam, his debut EP _Burning Fire_, and more!
**Did growing up in Mississippi influence the kind of music you listened to?**
Absolutely. Growing up in Mississippi wasn’t easy nor was it the best place for opportunity, especially being a musician. Mississippi as a state opened my eyes to a lot of blues and Southern rap early on, along with country music and a lot of soul music everywhere. It’s really a place filled with rich musical history. I grew up on Elvis, my dad and grandmother loved him to death and I always wanted to sing like him. Growing up in a smaller town definitely makes you look at things in life a lot differently. I appreciate the most random and small things in a big city that a lot of people are so very used to, but I still love smaller towns and the wilderness. I don’t think that will ever change.
**Was there an “ah ha” moment where you realized this is what you wanted to do as your career?**
Yes, definitely. When I was about 15, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life at all and the only thing I knew made me happy was listening to music and trying to create it. I said “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” it was really a no-brainer.
**I read that you were once homeless. Do you feel like that time in your life inspired you**r **music/lyrics? Biggest takeaway from overcoming those struggles?**
Yes, it impacted my songwriting and appreciation for everyday life. Wondering where your next meal is coming from was hard, but it made me who I am. All of the passion I have in my writing and singing is a direct reflection of those situations.
**Def Jam is such an iconic label. How does it feel to be signed there?**
Amazing, Def Jam is iconic. I hope I can live up to some of the legacies that come from here and hopefully add to it.
**It must be so exciting to finally be releasing _Burning Fire._ Favorite part of making this debut EP?**
Knowing I’m finally getting to put my music out into the world! \[laughs\] I live for this. Music is my life. I eat, sleep, breathe it, so every aspect of making this EP was fun and healing in some sense. I’m so proud of this project.
**Who were your biggest inspirations and why?**
Artist-wise,Imagine Dragons, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. Those are definitely the main ones and you’ll hear that reflected in my work. Imagine Dragons always have massive sounding drum and push the envelope so I was a fan of that and Dan Reynold’s songwriting. Adele is Adele, enough said. She’s insane. Lewis Capaldi has such a strong, impactful voice. I really love his music and tonality. Johnny Cash wrote from the heart and I loved that you could hear his voice and pain. He’s the GOAT. Last but not least, Elvis Presley. He had this aura about him and a voice that was unreal. I can remember my dad singing “White Christmas” to me when I was a kid, I grew up loving Elvis Presley.
**_Burning Fire_ features a beautiful choir, what led to your specific production choices on this track?**
When I first heard Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me” and that choir came on, I knew I had to have that no matter what. The strings and organs and everything were amazing added bonuses.
**Do you have a favorite song on the EP?**
“Burning Fire,” but “Home: is a close second.
**What’s one thing you want fans to take away from this body of work?**
Hopefully they love it and it gets them extremely ready for the album. I just want them to jam out to it as much as possible. I want them to feel my passion and pain and I think they will.
**Meaning behind the title “Burning Fire?”**
This song is about my aunt passing away from cancer and me wondering how my uncle, who just lost his wife of 60+ years, must feel. To me burning fire is like everlasting love to me. Like the epitome of missing someone with every fiery passion inside of you.
**Do you have any words of advice for people trying to make it in this industry?**
Don’t give up. Make the music you want. Don’t listen to too many opinions. Work on your craft and never settle. God loves you and this will work if you work hard enough.
**Anything else you want to let us know?**
Have a blessed day and thank you for having me it has been such a pleasure and an honor.
