In 2016, Caamp submitted an entry to the Tiny Desk Contest. After a few glasses of wine, Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall recorded "All the Debts I Owe" in front of a fireplace with just a banjo, guitar and Meier's soft, raspy vocals. At the time, Caamp was brand new, but certain of its chances: "We were sure we were going to win," Meier admits, laughing. And now, ten years later, Caamp realizes a dream.
Since forming, three more members have joined the band and, together, they've made Caamp a well-known name in the folk and Americana scenes. In fact, that Tiny Desk Contest submission resurfaced on TikTok and went viral among Caamp's fans. It feels fitting to mark the anniversary with their own Tiny Desk concert — a performance in which they play a range of old and new songs — saving "All the Debts I Owe" for last. "It's a fan favorite, it's our favorite," Meier told me. "It's a nice song for me to sing from the heart, you know? I wrote it at such a young age, not knowing much — still don't know much, but it still feels right."
SET LIST
- "By and By"
- "Millions"
- "So Cool"
- "All the Debts I Owe"
MUSICIANS
- Taylor Meier: vocals, guitar
- Evan Westfall: banjo, background vocals
- Matt Vinson: bass, background vocals
- Joe Kavalec: Wurlitzer, trumpet
- Nick Falk: drums, background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Kara Frame
- Director/Editor: Maia Stern
- Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant
- Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
- Production Assistant: Alina Edwards
- Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
- Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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