Cameron Nickerson hasn’t had the best year. With the world going topsy-turvy, Nickerson found himself struggling to cope, and, very wisely, he decided it was time to check out for a bit. Now, we’re learning that Nickerson was productive with his time, despite the challenges he faced to his mental health. His latest single, “What Is Real,” shows Nickerson opening up about those challenges for a co-write with Nova Scotian powerhouse vocalist and award-winning producer, Erin Costelo.
“Last summer, after a long stint of wondering when or if I’d ever return to my music community, I was approached by Erin herself about the idea of working together. It was an honour to write with her, and we created a handful of great tunes in the process. Out of that batch, came ‘What Is Real’,” says Nickerson.
“If you were to ask for some of my favourite records, I’d most likely list off Sturgill Simpson’s Metamodern Sounds of Country Music, Jason Isbell’s Southeastern, and Erin Costelo’s Sweet Marie.”
Nickerson, like many who were suddenly thrown into the vacuum of social isolation and massive career shifts, found that he might not be immediately prepared to recognize hiccups in his mental wellbeing, let alone the skills necessary to handle them. And, let’s face it, if the last year and a half didn’t mess with your level, then you were probably doing something wrong.
“I started writing ‘What Is Real’ earlier in the summer, while trying to deal with some mental health roadblocks and anxiety I wasn’t even aware of yet,” says Nickerson. “I honestly had no idea how I was feeling at the time, but despite that, I was having lots of folks try to decide that for me. I wasn’t exactly sure what was real at that time, but the one thing I knew for certain was that if anybody could find out, it had to be me.”
“What is Real” tackles some very real subject matter; from struggling to get out of bed and misguided attempts to downplay the effects of depression to the idea of permanently checking out from more than just social media. “If this is my closing time / I’ll check out on my last dime,” sings Nickerson. On its own, that sounds a touch morbid, but Nickerson is making the point that what is going on in his head is very real to him and external opinions are unhelpful at best.
Besides co-writing Costelo (who also produced and mixed), Nickerson taps some of our favourite Nova Scotian talents for “What Is Real.” Recorded largely at New Scotland Yard, Nickerson naturally called upon the ever-present engineering skills of Thomas Stajcer, along with Mike Farrington (bass), Jordi Comstock (Drums), and Blake Johnston (guitars).
“My all-time favourite thing about this song was bringing it to the table with Erin,” Nickerson said. “I’ve never felt so comfortable in a co-writing session before. I was immediately able to open up with Erin, who knew exactly how to jump in and write this with me. She took my song of doubt and brought it to life. It’s still a challenge every day, but I’m happy to say that mental health is something I talk about more now, which is why I’m so happy to be releasing such a personal song out to the world.”