Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter and artistic mastermind Camille Schmidt has just released her latest single ‘XOXO’. The song is the first taste off of her forthcoming debut album Nude #9. The album follows her critically acclaimed EP Good Person, an indie folk-pop masterpiece released earlier this year.
Camille Schmidt is known for her stream of consciousness writing style that often explores various themes including sexuality, shame, friendship, societal rules and the ideas of perfectionism. She has collaborated with a myriad of musicians and producers including Phil Weinrobe, who is known for his work with Adrianne Lenker and bassist Eli Heath. In just a short year, the artist has already made fans around the globe who are attracted by her musical moments of sonic bliss and emotional tension.
Camille Schmidt teamed up with Los Angeles based producer Ben Zaidi to create ‘XOXO’, an experimental indie pop song that is as adventurous as it is timeless. The songwriter brings listeners into a shimmering sonic landscape, complete with swirling synths, lush arrangements, and her unmistakable voice. Affected vocals add a new dimension to the music and the track marks a sonic departure from her more organic past releases.
Throughout ‘XOXO’, Schmidt seamlessly blends dream pop, art rock, and experimental sounds. The lyrical complexity is paired with an emotional rawness that brings a vulnerability to the work, where Schmidt looks back at her past people pleasing with a new awareness. She is ready to be herself fully as a gay woman and leave those who don’t accept who she is. There is a playfulness with her new revelation though as she sings, “The other day I had this fantasy / What if you and me had a kid / Two moms make a real baddie.” The music is a declaration of self-possession and resolution from a quarter life crisis and an embrace of one’s true self. ‘XOXO’ is another sonic gem by the amazing genre-defying artist.
Words by Victoria Polsely
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