Scott Cameron is one of Encore’s top singing guitarist based in Ayreshire, Scotland – but one month ago he rocketed to national fame as the mysterious “Guitar Star” in episode 2 of BBC’s I Can See Your Voice.
During the show, Scott’s past as a professional singer was hidden from the contestants and they had to guess if he’d be a good performer purely based on his appearance. Unfortunately, contestants Jen and Nadine from London guessed wrong and eliminated Scott – but he still put on an amazing performance and was rewarded with compliments all round from the celebrities on the panel.
Paddy McGuinness immediately let Scott know “that was an amazing performance” while Girl Aloud member Nadine Coyle was convinced of his quality right from the off saying “I knew he was a singer from the start”.
We caught up with Scott to hear how he found the experience….
What did it feel like to sing on national television in front of the celebrity panel?
It was a fantastic experience, I felt very lucky to be in the same room as the panel. And to perform in front of them was a great experience!
What was the process for getting onto the show? Would you have any advice for someone considering auditioning for the next series?
The process was very straightforward and I was well supported throughout by the team. It was all done via Zoom but was made very simple to participate in. My advice would definitely be to go for this show, it was a great environment to experience and full of positive and encouraging people.
How has being on TV affected you? Have you had more offers of gigs? Or people recognising you on the streets?
It’s been all positive, I’ve had enquiries about performing once things open back up which is really exciting, I can’t wait to get the diary back up and running.
You seemed remarkably cool on stage! Do you have any pre-performance rituals to get in the zone before a gig?
I’m glad it looked that way, I was really nervous before performing but any time I play I just try to remind myself that I’m lucky to be doing what I’m doing and try to enjoy it as much as possible.
When you’re not on TV, you’re a brilliant gigging singing guitarist. How have you been keeping yourself busy during the pandemic?
Thank you very much, like most, I began doing live streams every now and then, I now stream 3 times per week on Twitch which has become a fantastic outlet with a brilliant community who join in and get involved with the streams. I was also able to use the time to write more of my own music. (Check out Scott’s Twitch channel here)
Pre-pandemic, what was your most memorable gig (if you can stretch your memory that far back!)?
I have so many fond memories of previous gigs but the biggest one for me was playing on the Main Stage at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow where so many of my favourite musicians have performed.
It’s definitely been a challenging time for all musicians. What are the things you do to keep your spirits up?
I just continue to stream, write, chat to fellow music lovers and try to make the best of the situation really, I’ve enjoyed discovering new artists recently too, some of which have gone on to be my absolute favourites!
What are your plans and ambitions for the rest of 2021? Anything we should put in our diaries?
Hopefully to be able to get back out performing live across Scotland and the rest of the UK, I’d love to travel around and play music in new places. Hopefully that becomes a possibility!
What would be your #1 piece of advice for musicians who are struggling right now?
My advice would purely just be what I say to myself which is to try and use the time as productively as possible, learn something new, improve on something old and have the thought of returning to performing in the back of your mind!
Finally, who are your biggest musical inspirations? And could you recommend a top track you’ve been listening to recently (for me to add to my playlist!)?