Composer, guitarist and producer

Cam Butler is a Melbourne composer, guitarist and producer who has been a long-time creative force on the Australian live and recording scene. His singular guitar tone has been a feature of all his solo projects. He has released eleven, solo, instrumental albums which vary in style from guitar and synthetic soundscapes, to works with string ensembles both large and small. His orchestral compositional approach combines electric guitar with modern classical string sections to create a warm, atmospheric sound that ranges from thrilling drama to wistful sadness. His albums 'Solar' and 'Strings Music' were nominated for the 2022 and 2023 Australian Music Prize. Butler's unique musical vision is evocative, often being described as 'cinematic'. Greatly inspired by the environs and landscapes of Southern Australia, Butler views himself as an artist working from an Australian perspective, creating his own, singular version of contemporary, classical music. His latest album, which exclusively features solo electric guitar, is 'Spirits Flying Home'. This album is marked by deep, solo electric guitar distortion, intricate live looping and shimmering reverbs, enabling him to conjure complex and beautifully captivating orchestral-like guitar webs of sound.

Cam's work has been synchronised for use on Australian and French television. As a side-man guitarist, Cam has collaborated with Melbourne musicians such as Angie Hart, Hugo Race, Ned Collette, Roller One and Charlie Marshall. In 1998, Cam founded the three-piece instrumental band, Silver Ray, who were active until 2008. The band played extensively in Melbourne, releasing four albums and touring the UK and Greece in 2004. His music has been published by Origin Music, Mushroom Publishing and French company, Alter-K. Most recently, he has been commissioned by the Melbourne City Council to compose a concert piece for the Melbourne Town Hall pipe organ, guitars, a rock rhythm section and a string orchestra, to be premiered in 2026.

From 2010, Cam worked as a guitarist, co-songwriter and producer with Australian musical legend, ex Died Pretty singer, the late Ron S. Peno, forming the band, Ron S. Peno and The Superstitions. The band was much loved by fans and released four albums, two of which being long-listed for the Australian Music Prize. The Superstitions played extensively in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as well as touring France, Italy and Spain.

"Butler's playing on Spirits Flying Home exudes personality at every moment. That in itself isn't new - every one of his albums is marked by his immediately identifiable guitar sound - but it's perhaps more forcefully present than ever before when it's heard without other instruments. In this context, his artful command of distortion, timbre, and texture is used to consistently powerful effect, the result an intoxicating forty-minute display of guitar wizardry." textura.org

"Majestic and beautifully constructed soundscapes." Australian Musician

“Taking off from his previous album, ‘Find Your Love’, Cam Butler takes his blend of massed strings, percussion and guitar beyond the stars.” Australian Music Prize

"The results are euphoric, music that is cinematic and richly emotional."   Courier Mail