For somebody who has built a career by refusing to follow the conventional route, Cam Cole knows a thing or two about chasing dreams.
On ‘Chasing Dreams’, however, the blues-rock powerhouse isn’t interested in ambition for ambition’s sake. Instead, he turns his attention towards a harder lesson: knowing which battles are actually yours to fight.
The track emerged from a period when Cole found himself consumed by the problems around him. “I was trying to solve all the problems of the world and taking them on and getting swallowed up by it,” he explains. His answer wasn’t apathy, but perspective, concentrate on becoming the best version of yourself and trust that smaller changes can ripple outwards.
Fortunately, the resulting song sounds considerably less restrained than its philosophy.
A pounding four-on-the-floor rhythm gives ‘Chasing Dreams’ an immediate physical momentum, while vintage guitar tones supply the grit expected from an artist dubbed “probably the heaviest one-man band in the world”. The optimism isn’t delivered delicately; Cole makes self-preservation sound like something worth turning the amplifier up for.
It’s also another indication of the expanded world surrounding forthcoming album Lost In Creation. Recorded at Dean Street Studios and mastered at Abbey Road, the record begins with the familiar foundations of Cole’s guitar and Farmer Footdrums recorded live before opening outward through guest vocals, unusual instruments and experimentation.
That evolution feels appropriate for an artist whose career has been defined by making the most of what is directly in front of him. Cole’s journey from Camden busker to sold-out international tours, millions of streams and appearances across television, documentaries and gaming hasn’t followed an obvious blueprint.
Perhaps that’s why ‘Chasing Dreams’ avoids sounding like generic motivational advice. Cole has spent years doing precisely what the title suggests, yet the song recognises that pursuing something meaningful also requires knowing when to stop carrying things you cannot control.
‘Chasing Dreams’ ultimately makes a compelling argument for ambition with boundaries. You can care about the world without assuming responsibility for all of it.
Sometimes you make things better simply by finding what matters to you, turning it up loud and following it wherever it leads.
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