CaMERON McCLOUD, ROBERT TRUSKO - Smile FOR ME (EP)
Cameron McCloud and Robert Trusko's "Ghost Indeed” is the first track off their debut duo EP Smile for Me. The single was written and produced a year ago as Day 54 of McCloud's Keep It 100 project. The Dallas-based rapper Cameron McCloud wrote, recorded, and filmed a verse everyday in collaboration with various producers and filmmakers for 100 consecutive days. Robert Trusko, a Dallas-based (but Philadelphia-native) is the producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist who composed the musical elements for “Ghost Indeed”. McCloud’s verses were released as videos on McCloud's Instagram and the lyrics have become a limited-edition-book titled Keep It 100. You can find the Day 54 video for "Ghost Indeed" here.
During the process of making "Ghost Indeed" for McCloud’s project, Trusko and McCloud found a very efficient workflow. “Ghost Indeed” was composed, written, recorded, mix, mastered, and filmed in Trusko’s Oak Cliff studio in just a few hours. Between McCloud’s effective lyricism, and Trusko’s confident beats their synergy grew. The two agreed that they should make more records together.
In early January 2022, the duo were asked to perform a show at the Blackbird Society Speakeasy located in the heart of Dallas’ Deep Ellum. McCloud proposed to Trusko that they should program the performance as an EP release show. From this concept the Smile for Me EP was born. The remaining two songs were produced, composed, mixed, and mastered in just a few days at Trusko's Oak Cliff studio. The record-making process came right up to the deadline of the release show.
The release show featured Trusko performing in his Beat Set style performance, where he improvises live loops of drums, bass, synths, and keyboards while McCloud improvised verses and hooks over the material. On the set break the EP was a listening party for the Smile for Me EP. Smile for Me EP is available on all streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.