The Layers of 'My Mates': Campbell King's Sonic Statement

If you’ve ever scrolled through old photos, felt that sting of a memory, or just really missed someone who used to sit on your couch, Campbell King’s new single 'My Mates' is gonna connect with you. It’s about the people who see you when you’re messed up and still bring you snacks.

This track is for anyone who knows what it means to build a family from scratch. King put it plainly on Instagram: "My single ‘My Mates’ (I’m sorry this world don’t keep us safe) is out July 4th. It’s a love song to my mates and ur mates and to me and u too. Hold tight for spam. Hold tight for queer joy. Hold tight to ur people. 🤝 🌹 ❤️"

So whats the story here? Campbell King isn't some overnight sensation, even if 'My Mates' feels like a sudden gut punch. Been building this for a minute. 'Fade Away' was the first clear indication of what they could do, earning early support from outlets like The Line Of Best Fit. Then 'Ruin It' dropped, and suddenly their name was popping up on Ministry of Sound playlists and Apple Music’s New in Electronic. That wasn’t luck; that was a signal. 'My Mates' isn't just another track; it’s a moment. It’s a full-stop declaration from an artist who gets grief and chosen family in a way most people just skim the surface of.

For a label like Needwant, this isn’t just a good song; it’s a clear marker of an artist finding their true voice, speaking to an audience hungry for something real, something beyond the usual pop fluff. It's Campbell King saying, "This is who I am, and these are the people who made me."

What’s being said in 'My Mates' isn’t simple. The track moves with a gentle, almost melancholic sway, like a quiet reflection. There’s no big, dramatic crescendo trying to force emotion. Instead, it’s in the way Campbell King’s voice holds onto certain words, the subtle cracks, the spaces between the lines that you feel the weight of what’s being said or more importantly, what’s being felt. Co-written by Juliette Jackson and produced by Jackson and Fern Ford, it’s a quiet testament to the people who stick around when everything else falls apart, the ones who don’t ask for explanations, just offer a hand.

It’s risky to put out a track that’s this emotionally exposed, but that’s exactly what makes it so impactful. The scene is definitely watching. When Romy from The xx, Kae Tempest, and CMAT are showing up to your headline gig at Next Door Records, you know you’re doing something right.

'My Mates' isn't just a song you listen to; it’s a feeling you sink into. It’s the quiet strength found in knowing you’re not alone, even when the world feels like it’s falling apart. It leaves you with the lingering question: who are your mates when everything else fades away?