Blurring the lines between synth-heavy indie rock and conceptual art, Alex Cameron has used his records to craft the persona of a sleazy showbiz hack. Cameron set the misadventures of his misanthropic character to wry electro-pop on heady albums like his 2013 debut, Jumping the Shark.
Sydney, Australia-based musician Alex Cameron began as a member of electronic trio Seekae before branching off solo with his high-concept songs about a failed lounge singer also named Alex Cameron. He took this role seriously, writing volumes of songs from the character’s desperate perspective and going so far as to perform in a cheap suit and apply makeup to replicate pockmarks and a weathered look from a life of bad decisions. The first album of these songs, Jumping the Shark, was initially released as a free download on Cameron’s retro-looking website in 2013, and Siberia Records issued the album on LP in 2014.
Tours with Mac DeMarco, Kevin Morby, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Foxygen raised Cameron’s profile, and Secretly Canadian gave Jumping the Shark a wider release in 2016. For his second album, 2017’s Forced Witness, Cameron expanded his concept and collaborators, working with Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, Angel Olsen, and the Killers’ Brandon Flowers on more sketches of outsiders and misfits. In 2019, he returned with the less depraved third album Miami Memory. Still in character, Cameron’s narratives took a slightly gentler approach, exploring themes of parenthood, sex work, divorce, and other mature topics with his signature sleaze and synth-heavy pop style.
