Interview with Tim Camrose

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? 

• Things are a bit different for me as I’ve had a long career as a surgeon, and have come back to music after some 35 years!

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• I’ve always liked to travel, and I have worked overseas. Several of my songs relate to my time overseas. We also have a very large dog that takes a lot of walking! 

How long have you been making music?

• I was very musical when I was a young growing up in London - playing the saxophone &  classical flute. I actually stopped music completely after I qualified as a doctor, though I’ve always had tunes & lyrics going round my head and I’ve finally written them down & recorded my first album. 

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

• I’m now based in the Northwest, but I grew up in London and that certainly influenced in my music. 

Tell me about your most memorable shows, if you haven’t played live what is your vision for a live show?

• Funnily enough, my most memorable live performance was my first at home to my wife & some friends one new years eve. I played a couple of my songs and they were so kind & encouraging that I decided to keep going!

  This event is mentioned in my song ‘Bright New Day' 

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

• I made my live videos at the iconic Band on the Wall club in Manchester’s Northern Quarter which was a great & memorable day. There are so many places I’d love to play live - it would be a dream to fill an iconic London venue like the Royal Albert Hall or Palladium! 

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

• I’ve been a big Bruce Springsteen fan all my adult life, so I’d love to open for Bruce Springsteen & the E-street band & perform a couple of numbers with them. As the song says 'everybody has a dream'!! 

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into making music and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

• I’d tell them to go for it & accept that to achieve success takes time and a lot of hard work! I know that from my surgical career & I’m finding out again trying to make it as a singer/songwriter. 

  Part of me wishes that I had carried on with my music in my 20’s and not waited so long to start again, but I’m not the sort of person who has regrets. My songs are about never giving up & chasing your dreams. - that’s been my advice to everyone I’ve trained over the years & it’s what I’m doing myself now! 

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

• 2 songs are very special to me.  Firstly 'Didn’t day’ which is dedicated to my parents who died when I was a young man. This song been going round my head for years & years. I think the lyrics will connect with anyone who has lost someone they love - it’s about letting go and not having regrets about things which you didn’t say. The title of my album ‘Half of my life’ is one of the lyrics from this song. 

  Secondly ’Somewhere out there in the dark’ is about homeless young people. Working as a surgeon, over the years I  looked after many young people who had been homeless on the streets of Manchester and I wrote this song one Sunday afternoon. The lyric ‘I know you don’t my pity, you want to make all of this chaos end, just a chance to show the world what you can do’ is one of my best.  

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

• Depends on my mood - I like playing the first song on my album ’This is Chicago’  as it works well with simple voice & piano, and ‘Back to New York City’ as a slow ballad which is how I originally wrote the song - the upbeat version with brass came later. 

  It’s interesting that different people like different songs - but of course, that's the beauty of music. I think ’This is Chicago’ with the big saxophone solo which I love & ‘Didn’t say’ are probably the most popular - they certainly are on Spofity!

What is your creative process, and what inspires you to write your music?

• I generally start with a tune & few lyrics in my head and write down the lyrics longhand initially. I then sit down at the piano & work them around chords. I’m inspired by my life events & people I’ve met and often write songs very quickly in a few hours and then spend weeks tweaking them!

Do you have messages that you like to get across in your music, if so please tell me about them?

• All of my songs are personal to me, and I like to tell stories & paint pictures with my music. My lyrics aren’t complicated, in fact, they are quite simple, but they deal with real-life hopes,& dreams, success & failure which I hope people can relate to. 

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

• I plan to keep writing music  - I have so many more songs I’d like to finish & record. Early in 2023, I will go back in the studio to record an EP of probably 5 songs, one of which is written called ‘You know where to find me’ which I think is one of my best songs so far. It will be a big rock sound, and I’m looking forward to working with my band again and recording the vocals. I will also release the live version of ‘ Back to New York City’ which is out on a video. This is a hybrid version of the slow & upbeat version of the songs from my album including the big piano intro & I think it works well.

  I’m planning to play live myself early in the new year - initially doing some open mic sessions in small music venues,  just myself singing & playing the piano. Later in the year, I’d like to play live with my brilliant band again. 

How can your fans best keep up to date with you, any socials you want people to check out?

• My website  timcamrosemusic.co.uk  has all the links to my Album ‘Half of my life’ as well as my live videos, I’ll be putting some more videos of me playing & singing out on social media next year & the links will be on my website.