Today we’d like to introduce you to Kam Bugger.
Hi Kam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a 19-year-old singer-songwriter originally from a small town in Illinois. After my papa passed away during COVID, I inherited some of his instruments, including an acoustic guitar, mandolin, and banjo. He and I spent a lot of time together listening to music, watching old cowboy movies, and fly fishing in rural Missouri with my dad. Those memories are a big part of why I fell in love with storytelling.
When I was 16, I came to Nashville for the first time to visit a college where I was thinking about playing soccer. I left that trip realizing I didn’t want to play soccer anymore. I wanted to make music. When I got home and told my parents, they didn’t tell me I was crazy. They believed in me and helped me figure out how to make it happen. My mom immediately started booking shows anywhere that would have me, and my dad made sure I could get there. I spent the rest of high school teaching myself guitar, writing songs, and diving into old cowboy records and Western books. I became obsessed with the way those writers could paint a picture of life on the road, the outdoors, and the people around them, and that’s the kind of songwriter I wanted to become.
Before I ever moved to Nashville, I’d already played hundreds of shows. I learned just as much in empty rooms as I have in packed ones, and I played everywhere from the back corner of restaurants and wineries to festivals, songwriter rounds, charity events, and even a table at a celebrity golf tournament. I was also honored to be a finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival songwriting competition with my song “Poor Man’s Bones”. By the time I arrived in Nashville, getting on stage felt natural because I’d already spent years doing it. It’s not easy and it’s really hard work, but I think there’s no substitute for that kind of experience.
One thing I’m really grateful for is that I learned how to deal with rejection early. Between musical theater auditions and eventually auditioning for opportunities in music, I heard “no” plenty of times growing up. It taught me that rejection isn’t personal. It’s just part of the process. Because of that, I’m never afraid to take a chance or put myself out there. I think that’s one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned, and it’s not something that’s easy to teach if you haven’t lived it.
I was 17 when I decided to audition for *The Voice*. I made it on my first try and got the chance to spend a month in Los Angeles surrounded by some incredibly talented artists. I ended up being selected to audition on the third day and by the time it was my turn, the teams had already filled, so my journey ended there. Looking back, I’m really grateful it happened that way because it pushed me to stop waiting around and go all in. About a year ago, I moved to Nashville, and I haven’t looked back since.
Songwriting has changed a lot for me over the last year. At first, I mostly wrote stories inspired by history, nature, and the world around me. Those things will always be part of who I am, but now that I’ve lived a little more, I’m finding that writing about my own experiences is just as rewarding. During the last two years of high school, I was so focused on music that I missed out on a lot, including my own graduation. Now I’m learning that some of the best songs come from the moments you’ve actually lived through. It’s made writing a lot more personal, and sometimes, a lot more fun.
That balance is something I want to keep chasing. My newest releases reflect both sides of who I am. The storyteller inspired by old traditions and the young woman writing honestly about life as she’s living it. Songs like Ozark Hill Lightning are rooted in the places and people that shaped me, while my upcoming releases continue to show more of my own voice and experiences. I want every song to feel real, whether it’s telling an old story or a brand new one.
The thing that’s most important to me as a songwriter is protecting the integrity of the music. I never want to lose sight of why I started writing in the first place. I also think there’s room for more women in this lane of country music. I’m talking about women who write honestly, play their own music, and aren’t afraid to do things their own way. I’m not trying to fit into someone else’s version of country music. I want to bring my own perspective and help push it forward while honoring the songwriters who inspire me, like Woody Guthrie, Merle Haggard, Robert Johnson, Townes Van Zandt, and so many others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be. There have been a lot of moments where things didn’t go the way I hoped. I missed out on a lot of the typical high school experience because I was so focused on music. I didn’t even go to my own graduation. I’ve spent countless hours driving to shows, playing for tiny crowds (I literally played one show where the only person who listened was the chef from the restaurant inside. The reason she listened was because I was playing on a deck, and she wanted to sit outside and smoke), loading my own gear, and wondering if anyone was really listening. I’ve had opportunities fall through, heard “no” more times than I can count, and learned pretty quickly that talent alone isn’t enough.
Probably the hardest part has been learning to be patient. You can work as hard as possible, write great songs, and still have to wait for the right people, the right timing, or the next opportunity. That’s frustrating sometimes, but it’s also made me more confident in who I am as an artist. Every setback has taught me something, and every challenge has made me want it even more. Looking back, I wouldn’t change much because those experiences have shaped both my songwriting and who I am as a person.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write songs.
The thing I’m most proud of is that I’ve stayed true to who I am. Nashville is full of opinions about what you should sound like, wear, or write if you want to be successful. I’ve never been interested in chasing any of that. Some people might look at my social media or listen to my music and think I’m a little “off”, and honestly, I’m so proud of that. I’d rather have integrity and love the music I’m making than become a version of myself that other people like but I don’t recognize. That’s always been the example I took from writers like Townes Van Zandt and Woody Guthrie. They wrote because they had something to say. That’s what I want my career to be about. If it takes a little longer because of that, I’m okay with it.
And honestly, one of my biggest goals is to continue to become a better guitar player. I think female guitar players get underestimated a lot, and there’s still this assumption that the guys in the room are automatically better. I’m definitely not an amateur, but I’m still working to be better at it every day.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to be yourself, be patient, and don’t take anything too personally. It’s really easy to compare yourself to everyone around you, especially in a place like Nashville, but I’ve realized that trying to be someone else is a losing game. The artists I admire the most are the ones who stayed true to who they were, even when it wasn’t the easiest path.
I’ve also learned that good things take time. There aren’t many overnight successes, even if it looks that way from the outside. Every show, every song, every “no,” and every opportunity teaches you something if you’re willing to learn from it. If you let every rejection define you, you’ll never stick around long enough to hear the “yes” that’s meant for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kambugger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kambugger/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kam.bugger/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kambugger/videos
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7pHvFZsYznH48MkOmVfOu2?si=fGJSKHRmRcidHZcP49_M2g
