Q&A: Camilla Covington Smashes Through With “Mosquito Bites”

Q&ASpotlightMusic

Mar 23

☆ By Patrick Zavorskas ☆

Photos by Maya Gorman for The Luna Collective

FULL OF RAW EMOTIONAL HONESTY AND BLATANT TRUTH — Camilla Covington's raspy voice and lo-fi jazz R&B music hits hard like a bullet, waiting to rupture the heart of those who dare to listen to her. With a quick wit and sharp tongue, she lays down the law with a brutalness compared to that of Amy Winehouse — lyrics eluding to a calling out of bullshit, and an encouraging sense of self-worth. In a society where racism and sexism are prevalent more than ever, it is easy to understand her frustration and anger.

When I first thought of Camilla being compared to Amy Winehouse, what immediately came to mind was Winehouse’s first album Frank. The title — often known for being a tribute to Frank Sinatra — takes on a double-meaning: an allusion to Winehouse’s nature and tone in her work. "Mosquito Bites" and Camilla's work takes on these themes and generates a conversation in an ultimately candid and straight-forward way. "Mosquito Bites" fills the room with a white-hot intensity that — in contrast to its laidback production that is reminiscent of the atmosphere of a smoky jazz bar — makes no mistakes in letting you know that its story and lyrics are exactly what you should be focusing on.

No matter who you are, the messages written inside Camilla's songs are critical ones that the listener should internalize. If you are curious about what she has to say for herself, check out our interview with Camilla down below.

LUNA: First things first: How are you doing? What is going on in the world of Camilla Covington?

COVINGTON: It’s warming up in my world. The beginning of springtime is really refreshing! I’m enjoying this shift. My grandma has been vaccinated twice so I feel much safer lately.

LUNA: That is so wonderful to hear! Glad things are going well! I also wanted to take a second to congratulate you on the release of “Mosquito Bites.” How does it feel to finally have that song out?

COVINGTON: By the time I’ve released a song, I’ve usually heard it a little too much. I have a finite honeymoon phase with most of my music. I will say it is relieving to have it out! I feel like it is doing its own lil thing. It lives!

LUNA: Do you find that there is a difference between releasing a song now compared to releasing a song before the pandemic?

COVINGTON: You know, I feel very lucky and grateful to have a very consistent and loyal group of supporters who have stood by me throughout the last year. On top of that, I think the pandemic created room for new listeners to find comfort in my music. Honestly, in the last year my streams and following have only gotten a little stronger.

LUNA: That’s incredible! For those who are unfamiliar with your music though, what kind of genre or type of music would you describe yourself as? Do you think there is a need for that “label”?

COVINGTON: At this point in time, I think the best way to describe my music is a mixed bag of R&B, hip-hop, and jazz — most songs being a fusion of these elements. That’s so wordy though … maybe alt R&B? I understand the basic need for these labels, but I’m continually rediscovering my parameters in music. I’m just vibing.

LUNA: I love that — I think that is rather admirable! Diving a little deeper into your work, I am curious about how you go about actually writing a song. Do you have a specific process that you use?

COVINGTON: My writing process is sporadic, but whether my output is fast or slow, I am very meticulous about my poetry and making sure each song has a clear purpose. A lot of my music starts with a beat I found from the internet. Typically I immediately sense a mood from the music, and with that mood, I can choose a topic I want to write about. Sometimes I start by choosing one of my free-written thoughts from my notebook, and sometimes I come up with ideas off the dome. Either way, I’d be lying if I said that I had a religious, fool-proof routine/process for writing songs.

LUNA: It’s funny that you mentioned your poetry, as I often think of your songs being extremely personal and rather intimate, almost as if they came out of a diary or a poetry book. Was this the intent from the start?

COVINGTON: Well, I have journalled throughout my life since elementary school. Storytelling from the first person has always been fun to me, so I think my song-writing fluidly takes that form.

LUNA: I feel like with that being said, I have noticed that a lot of your songs deal with femininity, self-worth, and love. I am curious as to what the three themes mean to you and their significance in your work?

COVINGTON: In my life, these three themes are often intertwined, sort of like a venn diagram with three circles. Music has been a really useful tool for me to process these vulnerabilities and break free from that venn diagram, and that tenderness is really valuable to my listeners.

LUNA: In discussing your new music, one of the most prominent lyrics in your song [“Mosquito Bites”] is, “another fucker wanna assume who I am / call me ‘exotic’ one more time / Imma kick your ass home back to Amsterdam.” Being a woman of color, I am sure that these lyrics are rather telling of our society and the music industry. Have you faced challenges such as exoticism and marginalization within being a POC artist?

COVINGTON: A lot of times my experience as a POC artist is a psychological one, in that my surroundings can affect my confidence. I often long to perform for a more mixed/POC crowd, where I can feel at home. Predominantly white audiences can make me feel more nervous to just be myself, particularly when it’s a room full of strangers rather than fans. In those settings, there’s a looming feeling that I have to prove something to them. As a mixed-race black woman, I’ve experienced exoticism and fetishization throughout my life unrelated to music, and that has become something I want to speak on in my music. I am human, intelligent and creative — not a creature at the zoo. Colorism/exoticism/fetishization can also inherently benefit my pursuit in music, which really humbles me and causes me to wonder how much I really deserve. I’m here for these conversations and I’m passionate about creating a safe space for all black women. But this is a wormhole of a topic that I can ramble about for days.

LUNA: Of course, I certainly agree — and I definitely appreciate your honesty in answering that question. I do want to ask you, as well — how are you carving the path for yourself and others within the music industry to move past these issues?

COVINGTON: I hope I can create more space for artists to be their own little weird human selves. My personal mission is to live an authentic life. I just want to inspire courage and authenticity.

LUNA: I hear that! In wrapping up, I wanted to ask if there are any specific ways, other than perhaps streaming songs, that we can help support musicians during these times?

COVINGTON: A lot of artists/musicians, including myself, are strategizing to create bigger followings and establish loyal fan bases. Right now, thorough online engagement is the best way to boost an artist’s profiles because most platforms have algorithms. Save their posts, share them, like, and comment — all these small actions can help an artist gain traction!

LUNA: Absolutely! Lastly, what can we expect from you within the next couple of months?

COVINGTON: These next couple months I will probably release two more singles and arrange some live performances to upload! I’m so excited for my next single “Jealous.”

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“I want to set the mood for younger emerging artists in Toronto, to be like, ‘Hey, you could, like, fucking work with literally anyone who has a kind soul.’ I do want to uplift the artist community. I do think collaboration is important, because if you wanna be in the community, you're gonna have to collaborate one way or another." - Cruz ⭐️ 🎞Allowing themself to take a more vulnerable & meaningful approach with their work, photographer Cruz is combining her creative talent with her passion for mental health advocacy. Read more about this incredible artist & how quarantine shifted her work + about the work they are doing for the community in our feature on the site now 💞