Growing up in conservative Midwestern homes isn’t the easiest place to discover rock and roll. Fortunately for the members of Camera Can’t Lie, rock and roll found them.
Camera is comprised of high school friends Eric Arjes (Vocals/Guitar), Kyle Lindsay (Bass), and hard-hitting drummer Josh Bendell. “When you live in a small town, there’s not always exciting things to do. While our friends were out partying, playing sports, and studying, we were practicing. Everyday.” says Arjes.
Although, the majority of the band originally comes from classical music backgrounds – symphonies, jazz ensembles, and choirs – their biggest musical inspiration has been 90’s radio. “I wasn’t allowed to listen to rock radio when I was growing up, so like all rebellious kids I would come home, sneak into my room and do it anyway,” laughs Arjes. “I didn’t do it to be disobedient. I did it because there was something in that music that I couldn’t find anywhere else.” The rest of the band holds similar childhood memories whether it be making mix tapes of their favorite songs off the radio or sneaking out of the house to see Blink 182’s Dollar Bill Tour.
The rock group from Minneapolis shares love for more than their musical influences – which range from Third-Eye Blind to the Goo Goo Dolls. They also love being on the road, a nice round of golf, hanging out with the best fans in the world, spending quality time with their families and friends, and their hometown Minnesota Twins. Philanthropists through and through, the band recorded and donated an acoustic version of Radiohead’s “High & Dry” to benefit the Invisible Children organization. In addition, they were part of the “Go Green” tour, sharing a van and backline with other groups to reduce their environmental impact.
The band signed to Atlantic Records in the spring of 2008 and spent that summer touring and writing for their debut album. In January 2009 they left the ice-cold-freezer-box they call home and headed to the warmth of Ron Aniello’s studio in Los Angeles. Aniello’s previous work on bands such as Lifehouse and Guster made him a perfect choice to shape the album that the band envisioned. “I spent a lot of time with Ron prior to starting this project and the chemistry between us, both artist to producer and artist to artist, was amazing,” comments Arjes. “I felt inspired and motivated to be a better guitarist, singer and songwriter. He pushed us further than we’ve ever gone.”
Camera tracked almost twenty songs for this record, some of which will be used on a promotional EP, available in October. “These songs are an accumulation of the last five years of our lives. I think that’s why we are so attached to what we’ve created and why it’s impossible to peg this album with just one theme. This album is, in so many words, about finding hope in chaos, focusing on the present, speaking with actions instead of words, putting your heart on the line, dealing with internal struggle, and risking the safe and the comfortable for a chance at greatness. It is a play-by-play of our journey as a band, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
The outcome? A five song EP entitled “Days & Days” coming out October 2009 and the forthcoming debut full-length album in 2010!
