Cameron Moore started playing guitar at age 7, but it took him 11 years of growing as a musician--and a believer--to realize he had something to say as a singer-songwriter. Now, the native North Carolinian has a lot to say, most recently encapsulated in his breakout
self-titled EP, where he shares what he's come to know about God, worship and life.
Although he's rooted, based and launched from the Southeast, Moore's ear-pleasing, contemporary rock worship sounds are starting to break out into a much larger area. In response to his buzzworthy release, we asked Moore 13 questions that paint a picture of the young, up-and-coming worship leader.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Cameron. You're in college, right?
Yeah, I'm 22 years old and am studying History and Religious Studies in my final year at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. I will live in Asheville until I graduate in May, and then I'll move to Davidson, N.C., where I am on staff at Davidson United Methodist Church as the Contemporary Worship Leader.
You started playing guitar at an early age. Were you from a musical family?
My family has always encouraged pursuing my passion. All of my siblings took some sort of music lessons, but I am the only one who really stuck with it. I am the third of four children in my family and we are all very close, which has been such a blessing. But for music specifically, I am the only one who has pursued it as a career, or for a long period of time.
You wrote and recorded songs for years before writing one you wanted to play again. What changed in you as a songwriter that developed your gift?
I believe that the inspiration for songs comes from our life experiences. But just like anything else we pursue in life, in order to grow as songwriters we have to practice. I think that reaching age 18 was the point in my life where I began having a deeper understanding of faith, and I had spent enough time writing that I was able to poetically write about my journey in a way that I was personally moved by.
What was it about your song, "From the Depths"--which is on your EP--that stood out to you as a game-changing song?
The struggle I've always had with writing songs is experiencing the inevitable period of writer's block. Often times in those situations I want to force a song without truly having any inspiration to write from. Writing "From the Depths" was so natural and layered with imagery that I feel like captures the listener, because the story is so relatable. It was the first song that felt genuine to me when I performed and I knew then that I wanted to replicate that feeling in writing future songs.
You released a self-titled EP in 2014. What was that process like, and how has life been since the release of that?
I traveled to the Atlanta area to work with Sean Hill at Uphill Studios. Working with Sean was phenomenal, and while I had recorded before, I felt like this process challenged me in ways that led to developing me as a better artist. Since the release I have been playing just about every weekend. Occasionally I'll headline or open in concert, but most of the time I am leading worship for various churches, retreats and conferences.
Describe what you try to do musically and artistically to someone who's never heard your music before.
I want my music to evoke a feeling in the listener that draws them closer to God, but also creates a desire to understand the song. One of my favorite parts about performing is having the opportunity to hear from people afterwards about how they interpret the song or what the song means to them. I want people to want to listen to the music I produce because they are impacted when they do.
Is there a particular song on this EP that is sort of your anthem song? One that says, "This is who Cameron Moore is as a singer, songwriter, worshipper"?
I'm not sure if there is one song that I would consider to be my anthem song on this EP. I think the entire EP expresses a lot about my faith and what I believe, but I think that because I am constantly changing, it's hard to find one song that completely expresses who I am.
What is your hope for these songs? Where would you like to see them end up?
Of course on some level I would love to see these songs end up on the radio and in churches around the country, or that people would find my EP on Pandora and Spotify, etc. But I think that my true passion is in creating music and being blessed with the opportunity to perform as much as I do.
You do a lot of worship leading, conferences and general ministry in the Southeastern U.S. Would you say that's a region you feel is your mission field, or is it really just where you've bloomed as an artist and it's your launching place?
Having been born in Charlotte, the Southeast has really been my launching place. I have been blessed by great mentors and friends who have helped me expand out of Charlotte to the surrounding Southeast region, but I would say this area is primarily my launching place.
You're on staff at Davidson United Methodist Church. Talk about your role there, and how working in the local church helps you be a better solo artist, and vice versa. How does the church deal with your touring and "artist" lifestyle?
I came on staff at Davidson United Methodist Church in August 2015 as the Contemporary Worship Leader. I have been filling in as a worship leader at various churches for a number of years, but being on staff at a church has challenged me in many ways as I have had to form a vision for the service, work towards making a sustainable ministry, and plan services that may be months in the future. As for my artist lifestyle, the church staff has worked very hard to accommodate my needs and has encouraged my ministry outside of the church, just as much as my ministry inside of it.
What's your specific calling as best you can tell right now?
Honestly, I am not really sure. I definitely feel called to continue making music, but I don't fully know what that looks like. I keep praying for God to open the doors that need to be opened and to close the doors that need to be closed, and hopefully I'll end up wherever I'm supposed to be in the end!
What do you dream about?
I think that ultimately I would love to be able to tour and make a living by producing my own music. When I think about the future, that is typically what I dream about.
What's next for you in 2016? How can people be praying for you?
2016 is a big year! I graduate in May and am traveling quite a bit this summer for conferences in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Also, I hope to record a full-length album this year once I can focus completely on music. I release a monthly newsletter that highlights upcoming events for people to stay up to date with my whereabouts. To subscribe, visit
CameronMooreMusic.com.
