Cam (singer)

Early life

Cam was born in Huntington Beach, California, and raised in Lafayette, a San Francisco Bay Area suburb. She also spent time in Oceanside, California, where her grandparents operated a ranch; they helped develop her appreciation for country music. In high school and college, she sang in choral groups, including the Contra Costa Children's Chorus, where she learned to sing in 14 languages. She attended the University of California, Davis, studying psychology, and formed an all-female a cappella group called The Spokes.

While studying abroad in the Netherlands, she learned guitar, and a trip to Nepal—where she lived in a rural mountain community with limited electricity—boosted her confidence in playing. After college, she worked in research labs, including one at Stanford University, but a college professor's question about what she would regret not doing at age 80 led her to pursue music full-time.

Career

In 2010, Cam released her debut studio album Heartforward on the independent Rubber Room label, credited as Camaron Ochs, featuring contemporary pop songs influenced by her Nepal trip. She promoted it with performances in Oakland and San Francisco. Moving to Los Angeles, she collaborated with songwriter and producer Tyler Johnson, recording demos that eventually reached Tim McGraw's manager. Her song "Fall Madly in Love with You" appeared on Maggie Rose's 2013 album Cut to Impress, and Miley Cyrus recorded "Maybe You're Right" for her 2013 album Bangerz.

Cam then moved to Nashville, writing for other artists and turning down a publishing deal. In 2013, she launched a Kickstarter campaign to produce 10 songs with Johnson, supported by producer Jeff Bhasker. That year she toured Denmark and Sweden with the band Karavan. Her 2013 single "Down This Road" gained radio airplay after a local radio director discovered it via Instagram.

She met with Sony Music Entertainment director Doug Morris in New York City, performing "Burning House" acoustically; Morris hummed along and later asked her to perform at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony. She signed with Arista Nashville in 2014 and toured nationally with Dan + Shay on their Where It All Began tour.

Artistry

Cam's early exposure to classic country music came from time on her grandparents' ranch, where she heard Patsy Cline, Bonnie Raitt, and Willie Nelson. She was influenced by the vocal phrasing of Cline and Ray Charles, and also appreciated the Chicks and the Indigo Girls for their female harmonies. Her songwriting influences include Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Randy Newman. Despite a range of musical influences, Cam has stated that country music feels most connected to her, citing its songwriting structure as the standard that feels most homey.

Personal life

Cam became engaged to Adam Weaver, a business broker and owner of Nashville Business Brokers, in September 2015, and married him in a small California desert ceremony in October 2016. Her first child, Lucy, was born in December 2019 via cesarean section after a breech presentation.