Get to know... Landon Camper

Landon Camper is a songwriter from Bristol, which doesn't set him apart, per se. There are plenty of songwriters in Bristol. But Landon is putting in the work to set himself apart, writing songs about his personal experiences, hopes and dreams and making sure everyone who comes to see him remembers his name. He and his band the Pop-Ups are working on getting their sound out there, and working to make that sound as authentic and personal as possible. His songs have developed over time and his message is finally getting out - wrapped in country melodies and a raucous, good time. If you get the chance, you should definitely pay to see Landon and the band - before you go, take a few moments to get to know Landon Camper. When did you decide music would be a big part of your life and how did you first get involved? "Music was always a normal thing around my life. My Dad was a drummer in a southern rock band, and I always had the opportunity to play various instruments that were around the house, but my first independent step into wanting to play music came at around age six or seven when I first discovered Ralph Stanley. It was music that neither of my parents listened to regularly, and something about it intrigued me so deeply, and it made me really want to play the banjo. I found a book about Walt Whitman at an elementary school book fair and reading that really inspired me to start trying to write. Sometime around that same age I learned my first three chords on the guitar, and almost immediately began experimenting with writing songs. It's been a very consistent part of my life ever since." Is your current project a first of have you been involved in other things? "My current band, Landon Camper and the Pop-Ups, is the first band I've ever formed or been a part of in any real capacity. Although I've been writing and playing music for the majority of my life, it was always a private affair, I never imagined that I'd want to do it publicly, at least that was what I told myself. Eventually though I did come to the realization that there was a part of me that really needed to share what I had to say with the world. I recorded a solo acoustic EP titled 'Damn Liberty' in 2023, and did a few small scale solo shows, but I always desired to have a band to play music with. My childhood best friend, Cooper McCoy, had became a wonderful bass player over the years, and although our musical tastes were not the same, I eventually pitched the idea of forming a band and he joined up and started playing with me. In the next few months Ryan Eastridge joined us on mandolin, and Thomas Wolfe joined on the fiddle, and we've been ripping and roaring ever since." What is it about music that makes you want to perform? "Songwriting is by far the part of the process that I enjoy the most. Being able to summarize the world as you see it, or feel it, and put it to a tune is the most soul-expanding act I've ever done. And when complete strangers enjoy and relate to something that you've written and created, it's truly the best feeling I've ever felt. I think ultimately the goal is to free yourself from your troubles, and playing music is like a hydraulic log splitter cracking through a piece of hickory. When that instrument is in your hands and everyone is jamming and synced in together nothing else in the world exists but the notes and the story being told." How would you describe your music? "I've been asked this question before and it's a really hard one for me to answer, honestly. If you ask me I'd probably just call us a bluegrass or country band, because that's definitely the tradition that my heart seems to follow most closely. However, I don't believe in blindly following any tradition or genre. Everyone in the band brings a very distinct set of sounds to the table. Cooper, the bass player, cut his teeth on blues, funk, and punk, primarily and the way he plays shows that. Ryan, the mandolin player, was not primarily a mandolin player until he joined this group. He was a guitar and bass player, who played with every kind of band you can imagine. Thomas, the fiddle player, plays with a lot of old time and Celtic influence. I love all of these different things and so I'm never the person to try to dampen down anybody doing something 'outside of the box.' I guess most people would call us Americana or New-Grass, maybe, but I even might have bones to pick with that." Is this something you see yourself doing as a career? "Absolutely. Music and songwriting have always been in my life, and I don't think I could fully abandon it even if I wanted to. I'll always write songs and play, and now that I've really got a taste for it, I don't think I'll ever want to stop sharing them with people in some capacity." What are your other interests? "I'm heavy on the ADHD so my brain has taken me down a lot of different roads through my life. I'm currently in school with the goal of being a Clinical Psychologist. I enjoy wood-working and tree cutting, gardening, writing of all kinds (novels, screenplays, poetry, and non-fiction, and songs of course). I love history and philosophy, land conservation, building, camping, hiking, leather-working. I could go on forever." Who are your influences? "John Hartford, Ralph Stanley, Townes Van Zandt, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, John Prine, Goose Creek Symphony, The Band, Jim Croce. That's just a few. Locally speaking, Momma Molasses has been a big inspiration and influence on how to go about doing the things that I'd like to do." If you could tell people one thing about you they should know what it would be? "Anything you say to me very well might wind up in a song. It's all subject to use in my opinion. Also anything I'm writing or putting my heart into is as closely aligned with the truth as I've come at the time. I don't believe in putting on frills or doing anything I don't believe in doing, so if you like the way it sounds or not, I'm doing what I feel like is right." How can people contact you about booking or information? "They can reach me at Contactlandoncamper@gmail.com or @lcandthepopups on instagram and Landon Camper and the Pop-Up's on facebook."