Miami Memory

Editors' Notes Alex Cameron’s first two solo albums were character pieces. On Jumping the Shark, the Australian artist assumed the persona of a failed, over-the-hill musician. On Forced Witness, each track was sung as though a different person, each sleazier and creepier than the last. But on Miami Memory, Cameron does away with characters. The album is about his experiences, ideas, friends and, primarily, his relationship wth his partner, Jemima Kirke. “It was totally natural,” he tells Apple Music, about ditching the personas and writing his own story. “In some ways it was more work, but in other ways it balanced out because it felt so good. I think there's a small fraction of people who are like, ‘What’s all this?’ and want me to write about trashy characters again, but that’s okay. I made it for a very select group of people. So I'll be lucky if people relate to it en masse.” Whether you can relate or not, there’s a lot to love on this album. Learn more about the stories behind each track below.

“Stepdad”
“I'm very excited when I come across a subject that hasn't been explored to the extent that it could be. I’m experiencing being a step-parent now, so I thought, I'll write an anthem for anyone that's had one or been one. It addresses the pressure and confusion that comes with it, but it also addresses how it can become a really strong friendship.”

“Miami Memory”
“It’s the song of the record. That's the closest I've come to feeling real, real security in songwriting. It's everything I wanted to express; it’s the first love song that I've actually managed to tame and record properly. It’s like a gift. It’s proof of how I'm feeling. And sonically, it's really unique. It’s just a love song, in its purest form.”

“Far From Born Again”
“The more I become surrounded by people involved in independent sex work, the more I’ve realised what a legitimate industry it is. This was my attempt at supporting an industry that needs all the support and conversation it can get. I think people tend to shy away from talking about it because they like to pretend it's illegitimate or that it won't last. But it's been around for eternity and it will be around forever.”

“Gaslight”
“It's super hard to tell when you're in an abusive relationship and to balance what other people are telling you with what the person you're in love with is telling you. The lyrics are almost like a checklist—if you're hearing these things, you might be a victim of gaslighting. They’re telltale examples of what someone might say. It’s pretty easy to lie to yourself, but I wholly believe that emotionally abusive people are completely aware of their manipulation on some level.”

“Bad for the Boys”
“Thin Lizzy did ‘The Boys Are Back in Town’ in the ’70s. I wanted to add part two. The boys are still in town, and they’re not doing so good. They’ve got a lot to answer for. They felt good at one point, they had each other, but culture is shifting, people are becoming more aware and being held accountable for their actions. At some point you start to pity these people living in the past.”

“End Is Nigh”
“I wanted to pay tribute to a friend of mine by documenting our conversations—a lot of the lyrics are actual quotes from that person, who's now passed away. It’s about what someone's going through when they're actively drinking themselves to death. In a lot of ways this was me coming to terms with that and reconciling with the fact that someone might want to die, and maybe that’s the best thing for them.”

“PC With Me”
“I was mid-conversation with a dear friend of mine and she just stopped me and said, ‘Oh, you don't have to be so PC with me.’ It was a throwaway comment, but it evolved into an anthem about how open conversation can be when you have a trusting, intelligent dialogue in a relationship. All ideas are on the table when it's just conversation. It has so much feeling and rhythm in it. It's just hot. I love this song.”

“Divorce”
“It’s a song about the inner workings of my mind when I'm getting my ass kicked in an argument with my girlfriend. It’s what's going on in my mind. The words, those empty threats, like, 'I'll be fine on my own.' I just wanted to give Jemima, my girlfriend, insight to how petty and stupid my mind can be and hopefully give her a chance to know that I'm really just being a weasel. I'm not actually capable of following through with any of it.”

“Other Ladies”
“It's about the moment in a relationship when it goes from toying with the idea of being open and loose and not committed to just saying, ‘Fuck it, I actually don't want all that other shit. I just want to be with you.’ At some point I realised that the single version of me is just this animal craving attention, but the committed, in-love version of myself is more like a loyal dog.”

“Too Far”
“It was so obviously the final song when we started recording it. It’s a classic ballad about struggling with jealousy and the idea that the person you're in love with has been in love before with someone else. It’s inherently an acceptance of being jealous. I think there's a lot of learning to be done when a person is experiencing jealousy; there’s a way to turn it into something positive. It probably takes a lifetime to do it, but it's there.”