Cameron Mee: Honoring the Legacy of the Nashville Studio Sound
There are many studio hubs in America but perhaps none so famously tight knit as Nashville. The only thing harder than becoming a country music star in Nashville is becoming established as an elite studio musician in the city. As one of the new generation of in-demand studio aces in Nashville, Cameron Mee is cognizant that he’s the exception to this tightly guarded community. His access is a result of the immense talent and remarkable instincts when it comes to finding the ideal part for a song that this Australian born guitarist wields. He declares, “To me, being a part of the Nashville scene is a true honor. I have revered these players for years and hope to be a historical part of the pantheon that is Nashville recording. To follow in the footsteps of my heroes and achieve some of the goals they have attained is unlike anything else. It’s a true coming to life moment. To be able to say I’ve recorded and stepped foot in these studios is to me the highest level achievement I can have it in Nashville or in music for that matter. I think it also means that I get to be a part of something that in many ways bigger than itself. The Nashville recording scene is unlike anything, and to even have a foot outside the door is an achievement in itself. I just want to be an asset to it.”
On some days, Cameron finds himself in the strange intersect of musician and fan when he is recording alongside his heroes like guitarist Brent Mason. Mason is an icon among guitarists as a multiple winner of Grammy awards, CMA awards, and a Musician’s Hall of Fame inductee. Having played on literally thousands of albums, he is ranked as one of the most recorded session players of all time. Cameron still admits that he’s elated to find himself sitting next to such a world-famous musician in the studio. He states, “Working with Brent felt like I was in a movie. Brent is possibly the most recorded guitarist of all time, one of my heroes, and the nicest guy in the world. Sitting next to him, and hearing the caliber, and quality of his playing was just mystifying.”
Working with other studio luminaries including pianist Buddy Hiatt (formerly of the band Toto and known for his work with Randy Travis, Tracey Lawrence, Mickey Gilley), drummer Tommy Harden (Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton), Duncan Mullins (Luke Bryan, Terri Clark, Kathy Mattea) is an inspiring situation on multiple levels for Cameron. Beyond the playing, there is a kinship that is felt at the elite level of studio musicianship. Mee confirms, “These guys have been really cool about helping me in my career, giving me advice, giving me guidance when I need it, and helping me to navigate the world, especially when I have questions of new situations that arise. These musicians who have been established for many years are so kind about helping us ‘new guys’ out.”
Nashville is known for a deluge of artists as well as its numerous recording studios. From recording on unnamed sessions (due to NDAs) and on those for artists like Leona Williams (wife of country music icon Merle Haggard and R.O.P.E Entertainer of the Year Award–winner) and others, Cameron confesses to an affinity for certain venues. He reveals, “In this job, you work with a lot of famous artists as well as the not so famous. There are many talented people and many great songs. What I take the most enjoyment in is finding the right part, the people you work with, and the experiences you have. I have a huge affinity and love for County Q studios. This is where I did my first session and I was sitting in the same seat, using the same standard headphones as one of my favorite guitarist ever J.T. Corenflos. This was a really special moment to me, as J.T. is a huge influence and he used to own part of this studio. Getting to have this experience where he did a lot of his sessions was such an incredible moment for me and it felt truly incredible, as if he was watching down on me. This studio has an incredibly unique vibe compared to anywhere else, which I personally really enjoy. The sound is good and the studio engineer Ace is a fantastic person to work with who really strives creativity and quality.”
Writer: Calvin Hooney
