We had a chat with Bit3R and found out some more about his infectious sound and stellar new single ‘Desperate Measures’
Having just emerged in February, Bit3R, the brainchild of life-long songwriter and bedroom producer Cameron Navetta has already seen the release of four deeply engrossing and expansive indie pop releases that do a stellar job of establishing the artist’s eclectic and creative appeal and the undeniably fun and melodic nature of his style.
The latest single from the project is ‘Desperate Measures’, a track that melds sunny vibes with an intricate, jazzy soundscape that somehow manages to feel as eccentric and off-the-wall as it does readily accessible and charming. The artist’s approach feels wonderfully refreshing and authentic throughout his recent releases, staying firmly in his own lane and his sounds feeling all the more pleasantly fun and inspiring for it. We had a chat with Cameron to find out some more about his latest single and delved into the ways that he maintains such a celebrated and distinctive appeal.
Hey! We love your new single ‘Desperate Measures’, what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you! Really excited to connect with CLOUT on this! Desperate Measures is one of the more hopeful songs I’ve written in a while. Normally I’m not such a straight shooter; I always gotta mix in the dark brooding themes. But here it kind of is what it is, an uplifting song about shooting your shot and seizing the moment. And hey, it worked out!
What was the process like putting it together?
This writing came together pretty quickly. That’s usually my first indication something’s going right in the process. The first thing I heard in my head was the “desperate times, desperate measures” line, and the lyrics and songwriting kind of fell like dominos after that. I never know what it’s gonna be about when I first put the pen to page. I sketched it out and made an acoustic demo to show to my wife. She thought it was a winner. Usually if both her and I think it’s working, it probably is. From that point it was greenlit. We’ve been working on that muscle for years now. Most of the time I use her as a litmus test for new material. Super helpful to have an independent mind who knows what they’re talking about and can help you sort through all that. I think it’s relatively common for artists or writers to have somebody close who knows what you’re capable of artistically and can cross check your work. Sort of like an editor in a way.
So after the demo phase and spouse-check, I think I pulled this together in about a week of tracking/production. That part was kind of ended up being an arduous process, not gonna lie. I work by myself, and for some reason I struggled in the tracking phase. Nothing came that easily. I knew I had the good song on my hands, but it just felt like I had to work harder than usual to milk a viable production out of it. But I stuck with it, and I stayed fairly minimal in the arrangements in terms of guitars, keys, bass, and drums. Eventually it just started sounding pretty good. I spiced in that melodica solo which lifted it to the next level I thought. It needed that extra melody. Once I had all that, I mixed and mastered it, which is its own process that I won’t get into. Nerd stuff. Maybe this is all nerd stuff! Sorry!
What were your biggest influences when creating the track?
For this one I would have to say, Steely Dan was big for me. I’m a huge fan of theirs but they don’t always manifest as overtly in my music as they did here. Idk if the song actually feels like that to other Steely Dan fans but that’s how it felt for me. I’ve also been listening to some fresher indie pop/rock lately. Video Age and Drugdealer are two that I keep sticking onto my playlists. Matt Duncan. Surahn. MUNYA.
This track does a great job of towing the line between feeling eccentric while also relatable and accessible, is finding that balance something that you’re conscious of?
I feel like that might just be my personality, honestly. Eccentric but relatable? Generally, I’m not conscious of that when making my music, but over the years I have learned that it is kind of a part of what I do artistically. It’s just a vibe that people get from me and my songs. I tow that line I guess. Haha.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
Well, I’m just gonna keep doing singles for the foreseeable future, I think. Trying to get one published once a month, give or take. So, keep your ears peeled. Ew, that’s such a weird way of putting that. Anyway, once I have enough material, I think it would be great to get a live thing going. Right now, I’m all studio though, and loving it.
