We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Allen Webb of The Smokestack Relics and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameron Allen, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“Get in where you fit in.”

It’s as human as human nature gets, and in that regard, I feel like it’s something worth questioning repeatedly, no matter the personal conclusions. In my opinion, I do feel like that advice not only falls short of cultivating a true connection with others without agenda, but also upturns the roots of our own journey in search of Self. The Self that exists beyond any definable box or space in time. We accept those bounds placed around Self (both by society and ourselves) to ease the sometimes horrific realizations and helpless feelings that come with that daunting inward journey, that can only be discovered and overcome alone.

Within music, it manifests itself in the antiquated form of genre. Of scene. To choke down all possible avenues of exploration and authenticity, and reduce it to manufacturing a product for a target audience. In turn, we manufacture a Self that’s predicated on our own preconceived notions as to who others want us to be.

It’s taken us our entire lives to shed that weight and whether it’s a path for anyone else, I don’t know, but for us, it’s been more than anything we ever could’ve dreamed of.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We’re weird and the music is weird, but we’ve been in this band for almost half of our lives now and it’s taken the same time and practice to find ourselves, as it has to find what authentically wants to be spoken through us, so through a whole lot of crippling self doubt and social anxiety, we’ve learned to embrace the fact that no matter where we are, chances are, we’re going to stick out like sore thumbs. The music does too.

As far as what we’re most excited about, it’s really just the daily birth, death and rebirth cycle within music and creation. We’ve certainly become spiritually dependent on that process, but it’s the healthiest of any of our dependencies over the years.

Our path has been filled with far more mistakes than anything. Our personal lives have suffered for it and we’ve had life fall in on itself to where music was all we had left, but music is all we ever wanted, and to stop was never an option. Through the dark desperation in life’s consequences, was a chance to find a glimmer of salvation, and that’s what we’ve put every fiber of our beings into since. I guess what we’ve learned, is that if there’s something in life that for you, is meaning itself, how could you do anything but follow it to the ends of the earth and be grateful for every day you get to do it?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Although we’re serial hermits and spend more time holed up than anything, I’d say that everything in nature is what I’d hope anyone visiting Colorado could experience. Colorado has its own beauty and you could spend a month here and still continue to uncover new breathtaking places. Mesa Verde may be our favorite though.

As far as city life, here’s a list of Smokestack-approved dates and day trippin spots:
•Lion’s Lair •The Lyric
•Bar Bar •Englewood Tavern
•Denver Zoo •WaxTrax
•Natural History Museum
•Fiske Planetarium •First Friday Artwalk
And so many others that my mashed potato mind can’t recall at this moment!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The one thing that has opened our eyes in life more than anything, is a festival in a little field in Nebraska, Pondstock. We’ve gotten to grow up there over the past 11 years and to explain not just what it means to us, but to everyone who has been lucky enough to discover it over the years, could be a novel all its own. Among so many other things, we’ve learned that those magic moments in live music, where we’re all on one beat, on one note, held aloft between crescendos… Those are moments that are truly transcendental as human souls and could never be replicated. It distills all beautiful human connection down to it’s root truth and once we recieved that realization, it’s become impossible to separate the ritualistic spirituality from live music.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesmokestackrelics

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmokestackRelics/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/4wHmywRYIeI

Other: Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4aLLsKGHDLox39RpNPX9sA?si=R1UB17HTRjCCi_EFJqge5w&utm_source=copy-link

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.