Stoke-On-Trent-based band Camens have spent the last several years making a significant impression within the UK indie rock scene. Built on late-night rehearsals, relentless determination and a straightforward passion for making music, the band have developed a sound that combines infectious melodies with a knack for storytelling. Their rise has been informed as much by persistence as it has by songwriting, turning the struggles of keeping a band moving forward into part of the story itself.
Taking cues from acts like Interpol, Vampire Weekend and Weezer, Camens land in a space where classic rock n’ roll attitude meets indie pop appeal while a charming northern character runs through their music, giving the band’s melodic stylings a little extra grit. Their live reputation has grown alongside their catalogue, from early impromptu shows in unconventional venues to their tour with breakout indie stars The K’s. Since debuting with “Boys Will Stray” in 2017, Camens have continuously built momentum through a run of well-received singles. That progression reached an emphatic moment with their debut album, Work/Life/Balance, released in May 2024.
Produced by Andy Gannon, whose previous work includes The Courteeners, Glass Caves and The Hara, the twelve-track record charted at number nine in the UK and provided a thrilling introduction to the band’s modern take on indie rock. The record wasn’t just about staying inside familiar territory however and its alternative indie pop sound drew from Queens of the Stone Age’s desert rock aesthetic and the energy associated with Arctic Monkeys, revealing a band able to stride beyond the boundaries of their earlier material.
Now Camens are entering their next chapter with “Anything to Win,” the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album, LOS KARMA, set to drop in February next year via the UNCOMMON SENSE imprint. The title of the track feels particularly appropriate given the journey behind the album; written and recorded within a year of the band’s debut, LOS KARMA was repeatedly tested by circumstances that could easily have stopped it in its tracks.
Lost tour opportunities and lost funding threatened to derail the project, but Camens kept moving and the final push came during a week spent in the Spanish mountains, where the band found themselves attempting to complete the record while mainland Europe experienced its worst power outage since the Second World War. “Anything to Win” offers the first taste of what that means sonically and lyrically by taking aim at the realities of the music industry, addressing compromise, setbacks and the sheer stubbornness required to continue pursuing something when circumstances repeatedly suggest otherwise.
Jumping straight into a moody rock groove where slick guitar notes stab below singer Scott’s expressive vocal leads and the steady punch of drums hold a marching rhythm. Building with snapping percussion and lively vocal performance cut with biting flickers of lead guitar, the track rolls with gripping rhythmic energy and swaggering rock vibes. Packed full of infectious melodic hooks and enthralling guitar work wrapped in impactful production, “Anything to Win” sees Camens make an epic return while opening an exciting new chapter in their incredible musical story.
From their early gigs in unconventional spaces to a UK Top 10 debut and now the creation of their second album against a succession of obstacles, Camens have consistently built their career through persistence. LOS KARMA is set to take that spirit further and “Anything to Win” suggests a band who’ve no intention of allowing setbacks to dictate where their story ends.
Commenting on the release, frontman Scott Powell shares, “It’s about how ruthless this industry actually is. You can pour everything into it and still get overlooked. We wanted to write something honest about that. A refusal to quit. It’s part of our story, and we’re done asking permission. We’re just going for it.”
Listen to Anything To Win below
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