Artist description A powerful blend of swirling, mythological images and an edgy "street sense" seem to come together in much of Camille Baker's music. Takings its cue from Camille's various musical influences including Greek and Eastern traditional music, Tom Waits, P.J. Harvey, 80's goth bands like The Swans and other obscure music, creating her unique sound.

Music Style Pop Punk Country Blues

Musical Influences PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Cat Power

Similar Artists PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Cat Power, Cranberries

Artist History Camille started singing seriously at a summer Jazz/ Blues vocal intensive in Nelson, B.C. shortly after highschool, although she has been singing, all her life in school choir. Camille began playing bass guitar and writing songs with Clinton Rice in the spring of 1993. In the summer of 1993 they recorded a 5-song demo, and then in August the song “Something Creepy” for the Fir Street Studios’ (now First Music Studios) CD compilation Kharmadillo, which was finally released in February 1995. Clinton and Camille, as Spiritual Heroine, got a band together and played some gigs in the fall of 1993. Clinton decided to leave the band in November 1993, so Camille and early member - Martin Larsen - got new people in the band, which has continued to evolve ever since. Riding on the successful launch of the 1995 single/video "Can't Find It"; which received excellent reviews and airplay on local and Canada-wide college radio stations, as well as airplay on Much Music, the CD This Body is Stolen had an excellent start. The CD was recorded by Brent Calkin at Vancouver's MGS Studios, and produced by Baker and Christian Prekratic; the video for "Can't Find It" was shot at the end of July 1994, edited in the fall by Kelly Morris and released in March of 1995. The video premiered on Much Music in June 1995 and was played occasionally throughout the fall and the winter.

Group Members This new release is produce by Camille and Brent Calkin, featuring a mix of the last Spiritual Heroine lineup and previous members including: Camille Baker , Martin Larsen and Peter Russell on guitars,Lino Conti on drums, Lisa Marie on violin, as well as guests: Kinnie Starr on backing vocals and guitar for "Walk Through Fire", Jimmy Goodrich on twelve string guitar for "Centrepiece Drama", Jay Rose on drums for "Fever Took Me", Scott on hand drums for "Centrepiece Drama" and "Walk Through Fire", and especially Brent Calkin in the studio and on whatever other instruments were necessary.

Instruments vocals, bass and guitars,drums, violin, hand drums, sampler

Albums Spiritual Heroine(ep), This Body is Stolen, Soft Sore Silence, Kharmadillo (compilation)

Press Reviews “Spiritual Heroine...have a great sound and the singer is very creative vocally and has enough charisma and stage presence for everyone.” Josephine Ochej, Terminal City Magazine, November 30, 1994 "This such a breath of fresh air... the same vein as Condition and Tom Waits, providing some sort of psycho-sludge, jazz blues fusion thing. Its wonderful to hear influences from as distant as the Mediterranean where they tap into traditional music. There is a dark cavernous feel with the songs that Camille Baker has put together. Listening to this puts me out on the Bayou in Louisiana looking out for alligators. Thank you Ms Baker for sending me on this trip.” Thom Goodwin, "Exclaim Magazine", May 1994 “Try and picture an alternative flavour with the sharply contrasting, yet amazing voice of Camille laid beautifully overtop. Its kind of like a cold shower in the summer, it refreshes while it startles. Give it a try” Nolan Webb, UCFV Cascade Newspaper, April 13, 1994 "Imagine old R.E.M. and Babes in Toyland being joined together in holy matrimony by the Cocteau Twins. That, in a nutshell, is Spiritual Heroine." Daniel Ewacha, "/issue/16/SingSingDeadMan/Drop-D Magazine, July 25, 1996 “Spiritual Heroine welds together the best bits of your record collection into a fine gothic/alternative bliss-out. The Vancouver group contrasts too-numerous-to-mention past projects and finally settles on singer Camille's icy, sometimes tuneless voice swooping over the metal-shard roar of the guitar. With every song pitched as a tour de force, this...is arresting and...profound.” Chart Magazine, January 1994

Additional Info Soft, Sore, Silence is the upcoming release by Camille and is a more consistent body of work compared to the Spiritual Heroine release, This Body is Stolen, and each of the songs on this second full-length independent release, demonstrate Camille's unique style of song writing more clearly. The CD was recorded in 1996, but sat on the shelves when funds dwindled and the band took an extended break, some of whom have returned to work on new stuff and perform this release.

Location Vancouver, British Columbia - Canada

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