Cameron Whitcomb may just be getting started in the United States — but in Canada, he has fully arrived. When the Canadian Country Music Awards were announced July 16, the Alberta, Canada native led the pack (tied with Josh Ross) with seven nominations for the Sept. 19 awards ceremony, including entertainer of the year, and album of the year for 2025 debut album The Hard Way. Earlier this year, The Hard Way already earned a Juno Award for country album of the year, while Whitcomb, 23, also picked up the Country Music Association’s Jeff Walker global country artist award in November.
As Whitcomb is being honored for a 2025 project, a song from his 2026 Atlantic Outpost EP, Deep Water, is already catapulting Whitcomb to a new career milestone. That EP’s “Kingdom of Fear,” reached No. 94 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 in June, marking his Hot 100 debut.
“I never thought it would do what it’s done,” Whitcomb tells Billboard of the resonant song about dealing with anxiety and inner turmoil. “It caught me off guard, the kind of love for the song people have had. It’s a blessing, because I’m grateful the song has given people a place to feel like they can be vulnerable. It’s how I built my whole career, by telling the truth and not being too nervous to say anything.”
“Kingdom of Fear” also reached the top 20 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative chart. The song, like previously released tunes “Quitter” and “Medusa,” meshes folk-rock and country influences with a raw songwriting style and emotionally charged vocal delivery.
Whitcomb wrote “Kingdom of Fear” at his home in Nanaimo in Vancouver Island with Jack Riley (who also produced) and Nolan Sipe, before later finishing the song in Nashville with Cal Shapiro.
“I was reading this book at the time, and it had nothing to do with the song, but I thought the title of the book, ‘Kingdom of Fear,’ was just a cool title,” Whitcomb says. “We all kind of live in a kingdom of fear, whether it’s struggling with anxiety or depression, or any of that. It’s like this constant kind of overwhelming thing sometimes. That’s how I pictured it.”
Whitcomb, Billboard’s Country Up-and-Coming Artist for July, spoke about making the video for “Kingdom of Fear,” his stint on American Idol, and his evolution as a touring artist.
Looking back, was there a certain show, whether your own or a festival performance, where you realized that “Kingdom of Fear” was really connecting with fans?
We played in Boston [in April at the Citizens House of Blues] and there were about 3,000 people there. I’d never played for an audience that big — and then, I totally psyched myself out before Stagecoach in April. I thought, “Nobody’s going to be at my stage, and my show is at 3:00 p.m., and it’s a huge festival.” But I showed up and the entire place was packed.
The video for “Kingdom of Fear” features you playing a lead character who experiences a litany of mishaps, from a car breaking down to getting kicked out of a restaurant. Were there any funny moments or bloopers that stood out to you while making the video?
There was a guy that we hired as an extra, like the guy that punched me out in the gas station [in the video]. That guy, funnily enough, somehow when I was a kid, we used to go camping together. He’s from San Diego and I’m from Canada. He just showed up and I was like, “Man, that’s hilarious. Really didn’t expect that.” But the whole crew was great.
You have worked with Jack Riley on the Deep Water EP and The Hard Way. How does the way he approaches making music complement how you approach it?
I really pride myself on lyricism and that sort of thing, but as far as musicianship, I’m not that great of a guitar player. The thing that makes us a good team is he offers the perfect canvas for what I’m trying to portray. He’ll throw a guitar riff down and I just tell him how I feel and he’ll start noodling on guitar and lay down a super sweet melody and lyrics that maybe I wouldn’t have thought of if I didn’t have the right canvas. And Cal and Nolan, they don’t try to shut down some of those more abstract thoughts I have. It’s almost kind of like a therapy session to an extent, writing with those guys.
What was it like growing up on Vancouver Island in Canada and how did you get into music?
It’s beautiful. I used to play drums when I was a kid. I listened to lots of rap music, like Stompdown Killaz, Snak The Ripper and those guys. I loved music, but I was 17 when I realized I wanted to make a career out of it. I just started posting [songs] on the internet and I didn’t think it would turn into what it’s turned into.
You were also on American Idol in 2022 and made it to the top 20. How did that impact your career?
I didn’t plan on going on American Idol at all. A casting agent reached out and asked if I wanted to do the show, and it just went from one thing to another. I was grateful for the opportunity, and it showed me that [a career in music] is a possibility. It wasn’t until I got sent home where I had to really buckle down and learn to play guitar and write songs. American Idol was great, and it was so foreign to me that it was inspiring — because I had been working on a pipeline and doing blue collar jobs. When I got home, I was just doing whatever I could to make music.
What are you most looking forward to about your Kingdom of Fear Tour, which launches in September?
When you first start touring, it’s such a humbling experience, going up from venues where nobody’s there or you only sell half the tickets and you lose a bunch of money. There’s so many learning curves. You’ll go through 10 different sound guys and it’s such an unforgiving territory to be in when you’re first starting out. We’re at the point now where my crew is so unbelievable that the shows go off without a hitch. And I got an amazing vocal coach and feel like I’ve reached a point vocally where I’m feeling good and strong.
Who have been some of the fellow artists you have connected with along the way?
Bailey [Zimmerman]’s been unbelievable. Evan Honer is one of my best friends. Max McNown’s great, Diplo has been absolutely such an incredible human. Same with Marshmello and HARDY and Nate Smith. There’s so many to name that have kind of embraced me and have just been so kind.
Obviously, you are passionate about music — but are there other areas fans might be surprised to know you’re really into?
I’ve been working on getting my skydiving license and I’ve jumped out of a plane solo. In my off-time, I’m constantly doing little projects. I’m working on getting my pilot’s license to fly planes. I love racing cars—I have a car I take to the track. I get obsessive about random subjects.
Do you want to eventually be able to pilot yourself to some of your own shows?
100%. If it was shows around Canada and whatever, I could just hop on my plane and fly in, play a show and fly home. That’s exactly what I’d love to do. It’s a lot of work, but I want to get my IFR [Instrument Rating] license, then the more hours, the better you get. So that’s the idea.
Is there a podcast you are into right now?
Yeah, Bad Friends with Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino. I love those guys. And I love Theo Von’s podcast. We just did Bert Kreischer’s podcast — I’m a huge comedy fan.
What is the most recent song you listened to?
After going on tour with HARDY, I’ve been really digging into a lot of stuff he’s doing. That Quit!! album is unbelievable.
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