Cameras

A couple of bands were there too, both Aussie groups, Cameras and Guineafowl. Cameras’ members were dressed to kill, the boys in three-piece suits and the girls in designer trappings. Their sound was pretty sharp too, very moody and distant, like an Interpol/David Bowie mash-up. They didn’t take themselves too seriously though, and they had a good chuckle at being introduced as a trio when clearly right behind the announcer there were six people on the stage. Singer and pianist Elanor Dunlop stole the show with her vocals and stellar effort on the keys. You’ll have a chance to catch them elsewhere as they’ll be playing several shows this week. One not to miss would be the Aussie Barbecue this Saturday. - CMJ.com

Sydney trio Cameras are the next big thing in Australian music and they’re sure to have the hype machine buzzing in the lead up to the release of their debut LP this month. In Your Room is a fantastical record that plays on the light and darkness that lives within all of us. Cameras sound is luscious and distinct, they make their own rules without commercial pretensions and the result is fresh and integral music that pushes the boundaries of the genre without trying to be anything other then a rollicking good time.

This is a band who know their indie heritage and there are echoes of Pulp’s swagger, Interpol’s melancholic brooding and the orchestral nature of Arcade Fire present in every note. The nine tracks comprising In Your Room compliment each other beautifully as do the varying shades provided by the dual vocal talents of Eleanor Dunlop and Fraser Harvey.

Cameras have created a heavily atmospheric sound that builds slowly with the intricate instrumental layers. Highlights of the album include opening track “Polarise” which is an absolute stunner with Dunlop’s ethereal tones floating above the sonic miasma of swirling keys and moody guitars. “Patience, It Was The Truth” aches with longing as Harvey emotively croons his obtuse lyrics ‘patience was a monarchist, then she was the sea, she used to be the silo for my wants and needs’. “June” is a gorgeous keyboard ballad that features sweeping melodies which are made all the more poignant by Dunlop’s unique voice.

Cameras particular brand of melodramatic pop is emotionally intense and easy to lose yourself in. Long time fans of the band will recognise the tracks from the Polarise EP that have made their way onto the latest release, but this is not to the band’s detriment as the material has been repurposed by their relationship to the new songs. Cameras make striking sounds that remain with you long after the music ends. Buy this album and turn it up loud. You won’t be disappointed.

Review Score: 9/10 - The Au Review

4/5 Stars

After I saw them play in a tiny back room earlier this year,Cameras shot to very near the top of my list of must-see local bands. They work wonderfully well as a unit, while maintaining their own distinct personalities as musicians- you dont often see the interplay between two song-writers in the one band work like that.

On their debut EP, Eleanor Dunlop sculpts dramatic melodies out of damp pianos and her dark, etheral voice, while co-pilot Fraser Harvey's tracks use sharp angles and intricate guitar noise. Ben Mason holds it all together on drums that sound like they've been recorded in an aircraft hanger, steady and open in the claustrophic spaces of his band mates invention. Opener 'Polarise' is nothing less than stunning- the heaving piano rhythm recalls Absolution-era Muse (in the best possible way), and the whole song takes its time building to a quietly thunderous conclusion. The rest of the tracks suggest that the subtle build up to the climax is their basic blueprint, but they do it so well everytime, and from such different places, that it's hard to mind.

Fraser's voice suffers a little in comparison to Eleanor's flawlessly controlled tones- his vocal performances is prone to sounding a little generically 'indie' in the emotionless- emoting manner of Interpol et al. But they're shortcomings easily conquered by the inventive guitars. Its all about the details- a lot of rock bands don't actually bother with the small things when they're got this much going on out front. But the shrill guitars skimming over the grunt of 'Kreuzberg' and 'Mission' sound like the work of a much more seasoned player, not just in terms of technical skill but also because they indicate how the band are able to take in the bigger picture when constructing a song.

Like a darker, sludgier Jezabels, Sydney's Cameras promise huge things with their debut release.

Caitlin Welsh- November 1, 2010 - The Brag

"The Sydney, Australia natives have a moody, dark quality about them that's reminiscent of The White Stripes; Cameras brings both hard-hitting vocals that are unapologetic and upfront, as well as more ethereal sounds, courtesy of Dunlop." Aylin Zafar
- URB Magazine

'Just when you thought every corner of the genre had been explored, along come Cameras to strip you of your cynical suit. Eleanor Dunlop's vocals are at their strongest and most devasting- I challenge you not to get goosebumps.' Music Network Magazine Oct 26, 2009 - Music Network Magazine- Oct 26, 2009

With two lead vocalists and songwriters, Sydney band Cameras’ sound can lift you into a whorl of air and breathy mystery and then drag you back to earth (in a good way) into stomping guitar chords. The ethereal Eleanor Dunlop and the earthy, rooted-in-dirty-rock Fraser Harvey make up the vocals, while Ben Kingshott take charge of the bass. Eleanor is obviously intrigued by dreamy and delicious escapist sounds and pictures – the music she writes, the bands she listens to and the films she loves all have a certain elemental feel. In person, she is warm, friendly and practical. She knows what she wants to achieve and she works hard. Damn hard.


In 2008, she was picked as one of the Top Song winners for Triple J’s Unearthed. In 2009, Cameras were featured artists on Unearthed and were put on rotation on Triple J. Since then, the festival circuit has seen them treading the boards across the country from WA for Southbound to Sydney for Playground Weekender. What with being noticed so quickly, luck may seem to be on the side of Eleanor, but that’s a short sell for someone who doesn’t simply wait around for success to fall in her lap. She’s the one making it happen, committing time, money and energy on building a career in a field which is traditionally difficult to crack. And there’s plenty of work to do, debut albums to be made and tours to be travelled.

Cameras grew out of a desire for collaboration after Eleanor met Fraser through a friend. While listening to other bands like The National and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cameras honed their own sound with well-known producer Scott Horscroft (The Presets, Silverchair, Sleepy Jackson, The Panics) and produced a delicious demo of their first few songs, of which Eleanor is justifiably proud; it was fun and feisty and free of wannabee rockstar pretension. Although working with Horscroft was a thrilling and scary experience, it helped to tighten their band and allowed them to get as much time in the studio as humanly possible. “For that small amount of time, it took the band to another level… Recording made [us] understand the songs better,” she reflects.


When approaching the issue of being the only woman in her band, Eleanor puts it bluntly: “it’s not like there’s a huge amount of choice when the majority of people [musicians] you come across are boys.” Back when she was younger and the idea of being a musician was still a pipe dream, the dearth of women doing anything other than eyeball-scraping pop music was bordering on scandalous. Not to minimise the success of artists like Blondie and PJ Harvey (among others), but they were the exception rather than the rule. Since then, happily, things have improved. The Karen Os, Beth Dittos and Katy Steeles of this world are fuelling the aspirations of young female musos everywhere. For Eleanor, the dream came a little later on. “I didn’t think I could write music… but when I was 19 I realised it was the only way. Once I did start writing, it was the best thing ever. So liberating.”

Eleanor’s favourite gigs are dirty and sweaty and hot, which is exactly what Cameras aim to achieve this weekend at Playground Weekender on Saturday in Wisemans Ferry. You can get tickets from Moshtix. Throughout March they’ll be performing at Adelaide Fringe Festival before heading back home to Sydney for more gigs.
- Side Street Sydney- Feb 17th, 2010

What’s new pussycat?

Well, Sydney band Cameras for a start. This relatively fresh three-piece are hot on the live music circuit, and are set to play alongside the likes of Orbital, The Cribs, The Polyphonic Spree, and more at the huge four day New South Wales music fest Playground Weekender 2010 this February.

Sure to wow the crowds with their sweeping atmospheric soundscapes, everything should be fine and dandy says Cameras guitarist and singer Fraser Harvey… well, as long as no one vomits on stage.

“I do tend to get a little nervous before shows, so hopefully there will be no vomiting. That said we’re really excited about Playground Weekender. I can’t believe, well I can, but it’s just amazing that I’m going to be playing on the same stage as Johnny Marr from The Smiths.”

Fraser is of course excited about Mr Johnny Marr who decided to jump on The Cribs ‘biggest UK underground band’ hype last year. Good on you Johnny…

The Smiths are one of the many bands Cameras find inspiration from. With their sweeping cinematic music, they offer a distinctive two-sided sound – think Mazzy Star, Interpol, the Velvet Underground, Cold War Kids, Cat Power and more.

“Yeah – I guess we don’t really have any happy songs. We’re not gloomy people. I think we’re all pretty happy. I heard somewhere that people who are happy tend to write gloomy songs and vice versa.”

“We create a pretty big sound. I work a lot with pitch shifters and we’ve just started playing live with a bass player which has created another level to our performances.”

Sharing the moody songwriting duties, Cameras got together in early 2008 when Fraser and lead singer Eleanor Dunlop struck a chord over sea shanties and space rock. Eleanor had hit success as the winner of Triple J’s Unearthed Top Song Competition, and things just fell into place when drummer Ben Kingshott came on board.

After the release of the bands debut EP, Cameras hit local stages supporting the likes of Dukes of Windsor, Art Vs Science, and then alongside Midnight Juggernaughts and Datarock at the Come Together Festival 2009.

“We’re relatively new to the festival experience. We’ve played about three festivals now, and it’s great given that not a lot of people know us. The Come Together Festival was the first time we played on a stage that was bigger than a shoebox. It was terrifying – but good.”

With the release of their first single, the haunting ‘June’, the band had the opportunity to film a music clip that was creatively produced and directed by Master of Directing students from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).

The result is a beautifully crafted clip that is as striking and memorable as the bands lingering single. It’s definitely worth checking out.

“Yeah, (the clip) is really great.We are inspired by lots of European and North American bands, so we wanted something a little different.”

After the incredible results of their music clip, the band was contacted by NIDA to create music for the theatrical play ‘Motel’, which will be performed as part of the 2010 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

“Yeah, we’re performing at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in March to play as part of a NIDA theatre performance with the play ‘Motel’. It happened through Paige Rattray. She helped us out with our music clip.”

“When it came to writing the music for the play, I already had some chords in my head, so it was pretty simple for Eleanor and me to come together to write it. It was quite similar to our normal songwriting process. We are definitely keen to work further with scoring and we hope we might get to do something with film in the near future.”

The band hope to release another EP mid year – so be sure to hot foot it to their Myspace page to check out their music video, other playing dates and news.

- The Dwarf- February 16th, 2010

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Click Click CAMERAS!

Delayed, but oh sooo worthy.

About 2 months ago I was reading, Drum Media or was it The Brag? One of the likes and in a tiny, itsy bitsy blurb I saw the names Cat Power and Radiohead. Now, these titles are like food to a homeless person to my eyes so I read the blurb for proper inspection and of course to check the names were not used in vain.

It went on to read how this Sydney band was a talent collision of the two prestigious sounds, that of melancholy, whimsical vocals and alternate bars and synthesis. If you know me, I instantly became wet at the though of something that magical deriving from out local Sydney suburbs.

Turns out, lead singer and keys artist Eleanor Dunlop is Triple J unearthed alum. The talented songstress has intended on going solo for some time though when Fraser Harvey (vocals, guitar) pressed the idea of starting a band for the last time Dunlop conceded to the idea. With Ben Kingshott (drums) in tow, they were then ‘Cameras’. Rad.

Anyway, after obsessing about these guys for months I finally caught wind of a show they were doing at The Hopetoun. I was on that train so fast I am pretty sure I left my keys inside, which I do a lot.

The three piece were competing in the Hopetoun Homebake Incentive, which takes place every Monday up until well, Homebake.

The first song they played is by far my favourite ‘Defeatist’, which features Harvey predominately on vocals and Dunlop harmonizing in the background. The contrast and dissimilarity between male and female vocal harmonies always portray that effortless edge of melody.

'The Bolshelviks' is a second favourite. It bears a more psychedelic influence, that of The Rolling Stones and old rock and roll. It's a considerable variation from the other tracks but isn't too left field and just picks you up if you're doing a roll through all the tracks.

Most songs feature focuses mainly Dunlop on vocals as her huskily smooth voice as sexy as that of Chan Marshall. Her haunting melodies lull you into some kind if indie hypnosis.

CAMERAS.
See them, you'll know what I mean and their Myspace player creates excellent ambiance for the whimsically sleepy.

- Oscillate Wildly Blog

'If you're a Sydney native, chances are you've heard about the buzz surrounding a little band that like to be called Cameras. Conceived in the early stages of 2008 when triple j unearthed winner (Top Song for NSW) Eleanor Dunlop and friend Fraser Harvey decided to abandon their solo ventures and join forces with their nerdy engineer friend, Ben Kingshott.

If you've been in the room when Cameras take the stage, they certainly wouldnt have gone unnoticed- the classically trained Eleanor meshing keyboard with the frantic wall of guitar fuzz eminating from Fraser and the accomplished skin bashing of Ben.

They locked themselves in the studio in the latter part of the year to put down a demo with Scott Horscroft (The Presets, Silverchair, The Sleepy Jackson), which was smothered in love from the arms of Triple J and Fbi, scored them a place on the upcoming Come Together Festival and has seen them racking in the accolades from every direction.

Without a doubt one of the most exciting bands to come out of Sydney in the last few years' The Music Network Magazine May 4, 2009

- Music Network Magazine

CAMERAS
Oxford Art Factory, Sat 16 May

If you’ve seen the Sydney band Cameras perform then you’ll already know that within six months these guys are going to be huge. I love the Oxford Art Factory but unfortunately these guys were shoved into the smaller bar on Saturday night. This didn’t allow them enough performance space and the vision projected behind them detracted from the band’s deep melodic and hypnotic songs. I’m not interested in Elvis movies, Monkey Magic or old reruns of Batman and the drummer, Ben Kingshott was swallowed up by the visuals.

Venue issues aside, their set was filled with musical shades of light and dark and they’re a confident band without being cocky. Eleanor Dunlop’s vocals are reminiscent of Sonic Youth’s early days and she’s complimented by Fraser Harvey’s tight guitar (and vocals) along with Ben’s fluid drumming. They opened with my favourite, Vampires in Transit, and Eleanor’s haunting deep vocals were awesome during The Rise and June. She also hammers away at the keys and at times I wanted her to break out into crazy dance moves (I was hoping for Karen O style) but the area she was boxed into didn’t allow for that. Every song has been carefully put together so that at the end of the set I wanted more. Their moody sounds are unique and I wouldn’t want them to commercialise their sound for the sake of popularity. Don’t think I’m implying that these guys are angry and pissed off with the world, they’re actually the opposite. They’re intelligent and the complexity of their songs is strong and engaging. If they stay true to themselves you can bet they’re going to be around for a long while.

Cameras are playing at Come Together Festival on Sat 6 June.
http://www.myspace.com/camerasband

Shakira Piggott
- Channel V

'Knitting together a dazzling set of slow-burn epics & a ‘kingdom-come’ wall of sound, CAMERAS are one of those bands that make you want to use sexy words like ‘Evoke’, ‘Tapestry’ & ‘Dopperganger’. Prediction: Eleanor Dunlop (vocals/keys) manages to pull rank as the winner of Triple J’s Unearthed Top Song Competition, and yet again we will have another Australian band that the US will presume is from the UK. Sosueme gives them 12 months until somebody offers them an unfathomable amount of money for their tunes on Aaron Spelling’s latest reboot.'



- SOSUEME-SHOW

"..I was won over when the drums came in. Subtle I know, but it got me with that little lift. Overall, this has a great atmosphere to it." Review for 'June' by Richard Kingsmill- Triple J Music Director

"...This song (The Bolsheviks) really turns the pace up and shows a different side to Cameras - Sydney band to watch out for, a lot of different ideas in these tracks and with a solid live reputation" Nick Findlay, Triple J Presenter

"...I really like this song (The Rise). Great piano, those wailing guitars and deep, emotive vocals. That driving dark vibe throughout the whole song works so well. Am I making sense? Probably not." Linda Marigliano, Triple J Presenter

Review of 'Horizontal' by Triple J's Dom Alessio
"There's something just slightly theatrical and quirky about this song to separate it from the usual indie pop fare. Loving the rhythms in this one, as well as Eleanor's smoky vocals."

- Triple J

In this day and age pop music is somewhat of a dirty word now that it has been acquired and bastardised by hip hop, r&b and dance music. Melodic pop of the guitar kind gets called indie or tagged with some new hipster-ism to make it seem like a new revelation.

Friday night at Spectrum saw two acts that proudly embrace elements of pop and use it to their distinct advantage. In a parallel and just world Cameras and in particular Simon Carter would be popstars by their own making and not media driven facsimiles.

Cameras have expanded from a duo to a four piece live band and as a result gained some depth and added muscle to their sound. Singer/keyboardist Eleanor cut a striking figure front and centre and it was when she took the lead vocal that the songs really came to life. She has a warm tone to her voice that enables her to sing in a sultry, dream-pop style or a more angsty pop delivery.

Live, they have a bigger rock sound than the the songs on their MySpace page suggest but there is still just enough room between the crashing drums for some attractive melodies to sneak out beneath Spectrum’s many mirror balls. By including a cover of Pet Shop Boys’ It’s A Sin they showed that they do indeed recognise a great pop song and it sat well amongst their own.

- Doubtful Sounds for Fasterlouder.com.au