Interview with CAMELTOE

by Vpower

The Band: Cameltoe

Country: Norway

https://www.facebook.com/TheCameltoeBand/

http://www.cameltoe.no/

http://www.battlegod-productions.com

CAMELTOE  is a classic Heavy Rock act from Norway. With their debut album “Up Your Alley”, CAMELTOE are following their 5-track-EP  “Handle With Care” from 2017.  With these guys you can only await classic 80’s stuff with a heavy production, great guitar solos and harmonies and they have already supported many well known acts like Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Slade, TNT, Jorn, Saga, Uriah Heep, Def Leppard, Europe, Mike Tramp, Dare, Dream Police and Tindrum. A good start!

Hello guys, apart from being a band from Trondheim (Norway) we don’t know much about your history, please give us some details.

We have been playing together for about four years. We started out as a coverband, but quickly progressed into writing own material. We knew from the start that we fit well together musically, and started recording our first songs in 2015.

Up Your Alley is your debut album, have you released something before or are these the very first songs you release?

We have previously released two singles and one EP before the release of our album. All is available on digital distribution, like Spotify, Deezer, Amazon etc.

You deliver a good set of songs, meanly with a hard heavy American taste in this first album, an eternal genre, isn’t it?

We haven’t given it that much thought. When we play together it sounds like this. So it’s probably because of our upbringing, listening to all the great bands of the 80´s.

How long have you worked in the composition of Up Your Alley and how was the recording process?

We have been working on this album for about 3 years. We actually established our own studio, and started from scratch. It has been an educational process, mastering both the equipment, the software and of course finding our own expression soundwise. We have done a lot of mistakes along the way, but in the end we think it turned out pretty good. Everything but the drums is recorded in our own studio except the drums, which are recorded in Skansen studio.

A learn or die process, with a good end! Is there any general topic in your lyrcis?

Not really. We have all contributed in the writing process, and therefore the lyrics have been written in different moods and different occations. We all had full artistic freedom, and the process have not been governed in any way. So in the end, the songs turned out quit different with a great variation

God melodies, good voice and even some more atmospheric compositions as Tank Commander, it seems you are able to cover all the spectre from hard rock to heavy metal?

Thank you very much! We are five musicians that have both similar and different influences. We believe that the magic happens when dark and bright forces mix together.

Any favorite song in the album?

We all have different favorites on the album, and picking one song in particular is difficult. Battlegod Productions suggested that “Screaming my head off” was the song that we should do a video of, and so we did. Hope you like the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5nZMPgpu2s

A really addictive song it is. When I listen to Cameltoe’s first album I cannot avoid thinking of classic bands as Dokken, TNT, Axel Rudi Pell, etc. It was your intention to do it that way or it’s something more of an unconscious process?

It was never our intention. But obviously, our influences are kicking in when we write music, and they become quite apparent in the result. No matter what genre we would play, it probably would have sounded like we do on the album.

The cover artwork is really nice, does it have some especial relation with any songs?

Thank you! The artwork is really a blend of great historical places in our hometown Trondheim. This was important to us, since this is where we grew up, and our connection to Trondheim is very strong. Trondheim is the Hard Rock capitol of Norway! The artwork is made by a friend of us - Kjell Roger Solstad - who is a very talented photographer.”

Cool! Another proof of your classic style is that you have played in support of names as Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Slade, TNT, Jorn, Saga, Uriah Heep, Def Leppard, Europe, etc

Some of us have been touring a lot. And the examples above are only the top of the iceberg. Several of these bands have had strong musical influence on us, so this something we are very proud of.

No doubt this Up Your Alley can be enjoyed by a huge range of fans, so you should be touring around with as if tomorrow never comes, are you preparing some dates?

We would love to do a world tour, but as of now nothing is decided yet. Battlegod Productions are planning a tour with the bands on their label, but we still don´t know when and where. But we are ready should a request come our way!

Bands playing the staff as Ratt, Skid Row, Whitesnake, etc used to carry a crazy life in the 80s, if you know what I mean haha. Is that possible anymore in the internet era or nowadays is all much more professional?

We are crossing our fingers, and hoping there is some crazy life left for us out there J

Hahaha. So, continuing with the subject before, if you could choose playing in the magic atmosphera of the 80s (big venues & arenas and so on) or being a 21st century band, as you are, your choice would be…?

Of course we would love to play in big venues and arenas like our idols did. Who wouldn´t want to be a part of the iconic rock show that took place in Westfalenhalle, Dortmund in December 1983? Greatest show ever!

Thank you very much for your attention guys, if you wish to add something…

Thank you! We hope people really like the album! And please follow us on Facebook ad Spotify! See you soon in a venue near you! Rock on! /C