The Cleveland-hailing Singer-Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Cam Schnell leave us tapping our feet to his latest anthemic single, "On The Way To Tennessee."
One can easily spot Cam Schnell in his classic getup of Chelsea boots, black pants, a Houndstooth blazer, and his bright red acoustic guitar. Influenced by the sounds of 50s, 60s, 70s rock, pop, funk, and country, Cam Schnell never fails to strike a memorable chord in the listener through lyrical themes surrounding the daily grind, romance, friendships, solitude, and more.
Getting us in the groove with his latest single, "On The Way To Tennessee," Cam Schnell and his upbeat instrumentals beam through our speakers like the first ray of sun on a clear day. While pushing a heavily soulful and spirited performance, Cam Schnell paints many vivid and picturesque scenes that leave us yearning for a needed road trip.
Taking a deeper listen to "On The Way To Tennessee," the song opens with a bright acoustic guitar alongside a twangy electric guitar and a lively drum arrangement. As Cam Schnell begins to belt his powerful vocals over our speakers, he delves into his passionate lyrical theme of getting some needed alone time with the open road.
As he continues moving and grooving to the song's heavy and soulful tones, Cam Schnell leaves the listener tapping their feet to the song's punchy instrumentation and irresistible sonic atmosphere. As Cam Schnell heads towards the outro, he closes the song on this lively and anthemic note while leaving us packing our cars to head down south.
Add Cam Schnell's latest single, "On The Way To Tennessee," to your road trip playlist, and find the beaming single on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Cam. We're completely enthralled with the overall passion and soul you've delivered within your recent single, "On The Way To Tennessee." What inspired you to write a single about hitting the open road?
I remember looking out my window on a grey, rainy day and thought to myself "I would love to go somewhere where the sky is bright and vibes are high." After thinking about it for a second, I thought about hitting the road and going to Tennessee. I've always liked going on spontaneous trips and thought it would be a cool idea to write a song about. The song can be interpreted as a long-weekend kind of trip or a permanent move; either way works. I think the overarching theme of the song is to be aware of your current day-to-day situation and to not be afraid to change or try something new.
Was it easy for you to paint such picturesque images through your lyricism within "On The Way To Tennessee?" Could you elaborate on your songwriting process and the lyrical scenes you wanted to offer?
The chorus of the song came to me first. I just couldn't get it out of my head. So, then it was just a matter of building the "scenes" or story around the chorus. I live in Cleveland, so I thought the first verse should be about your hometown, followed by verse two telling a story about first being on the road, closed out by verse three leading the audience to the brink of arrival. I tried to communicate different attributes, imagery, and details about each journey along the way to Tennessee. Once the first verse was written, it was pretty easy to write the second and third because I knew which direction I wanted the story to go.
How did you achieve such an anthemic and hearty instrumental for "On The Way To Tennessee?" What was your creative process like when crafting the arrangements and atmosphere?
The instrumentation of this song is not overly complex. Drums, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, and vocals. No harmonica, fiddle, or piano like a lot of country-rock songs have. I wanted to keep it simple, but thick. I was very picky with the guitar tonality in this song and really wanted it to be more on the raw side of things, not to mention play a catchy lick. I had the progression for a few days, trying to find the perfect opening riff. It took some experimentation but I ultimately found something that I think fits perfectly. The harmonies in this song were also important. I wanted it to be a song that would encourage the listener to sing, and I think the extra vocals helped create a feeling that would make people want to join in. Lastly, I wanted the mood of the song to be energetic, and something that listeners would want to clap their hands and tap their feet too. I think the drums really helped bring this together.
How do energetic and soulful tunes like "On The Way To Tennessee" help listeners get to know you better? How do songs like this reflect who you are and the type of music you create?
I like to write songs that are mood-boosters and create positive energy. I think this song is certainly representative of me as an artist because I like to sing about things that make me happy! Country and rock music have both had a major influence on my style and songwriting, so I wanted to create something that could pull certain elements from both genres. I also feel that it is a relatable tune - everyone at some point has contemplated packing up their things and going wherever the road takes them. Some people have done it! It's a feel-good tune that encourages the listener to dance and sing along!