Pride month sailed past us particularly quietly this year, but summer is in full swing and music is the thread running through it. Powerfully political festival sets, Lana Del Rey and Addison Rae singing ‘Diet Pepsi’ at Wembley, or Charli XCX somehow still grinding on a stage in Somerset or Copenhagen bringing Brat Summer 2.0 to crowds have proliferated our Instagram feeds in recent weeks, while the sounds of Lorde or Doechii’s latest albums transmit through someone’s open window down your street.
But beyond the viral clips and summer hits, in the heart of Bermondsey at Miloco Studios, something else magical has been afoot. In collaboration with Spotify GLOW, Warner Chappell Music (a part of Warner Music Group) and Grammy-nominated songwriter, recording artist and music production mastermind, MNEK, the PROUD SOUND song camp has been underway with its class of 2025.
The song camp, founded by MNEK 6 years ago, just kicked off its fourth year running, continuing its mission to find and champion the queer songwriters and producers of today and tomorrow. This year’s camp included Adam Lambert, Becky Hill, Lozeak, Tom Aspaul, Jordan Mackampa, Lapsley, Shura, Sola Guinto and Harry Paynter. We were flattered to be invited down to the studio for a yap with MNEK to learn more about the camp in action.
What is PROUD SOUND about?
“The mission with PROUD SOUND was really to bring queer writers and producers together and put them in rooms that they probably wouldn’t be in if they weren’t in a camp like this, to give them experiences, let them form friendships and further creative partnerships that will then yield hits,” said MNEK. “Warner Chappell has been great in helping with A&R and looking for writers to be a part of this, and I always play a part in bringing in queer writers, producers and artists that I’m looking at from the side and thinking, okay, you’ve worked well with this person and that person, to culminate in PROUD SOUND.”
The camp, which took place 16-18th June, provides the opportunity for artists, songwriters and producers to collaborate and connect in a studio space, to nurture, support and create opportunities for new creators, with the support of existing LGBTQIA+ industry talent as mentors and co-writers throughout the camp. This year they sought to expand on that and collaborate with even more renowned songwriters and artists to write some hits and uncover the next generation of queer talent, with many of the artists and writers returning year after year.
Most writing camps at their core are about publishers and labels bringing songwriters together to cultivate financially successful hits, but for MNEK, PROUD SOUND has a more important role to play, by championing queer storytelling and collaboration while on a mission to find and celebrate emerging queer talent.
“If hits come out of that, then that is only a very happy bonus, but the main objective is for people to feel like they belong somewhere, and that there’s a safe space for queer writers and producers,” says MNEK.
Bringing unique queer perspectives to music
The songwriting camp brings together talented individuals with various experience levels, but at its core, everyone is bringing something original to the table.
“I think being queer somewhere, you’re always going to have an interesting perspective. Any time you’re a minority in a world where there’s a majority of one thing, you’re going to have a different perspective or one that not many people understand,” says MNEK. “But then, when you’re in a room of like-minded people, it can feel so affirming. So I always go back to that because that is just the core of it.”
In an industry that still has a way to go to improve equality and diversity in who is platformed and ‘marketable’, PROUD SOUND offers somewhere to nurture talent and creativity where your difference in being queer is what makes your voice authentic.
“I got into this industry when I was 14, and I was in the middle of figuring out who the fuck I was. I had no clue, and all I knew was that I wanted to make music, you know? It took a bit of living, a bit of life and experience to know that there were also other purposes in this,” says MNEK. “It isn’t just about writing songs or having hits; it’s about having cultural impact, and I think things like PROUD SOUND I’m, you know, putting my money where my mouth is, and having a purpose with what I’m doing, this desire to help people who maybe feel creatively stifled or don’t know how capable they really are.”
Why spaces like PROUD SOUND matter now more than ever
In a time when queer spaces and rights to merely exist authentically are still under threat and representation can feel performative or surface-deep, PROUD SOUND is focused on building an authentic community that celebrates creativity. It’s not just a camp, it’s about making room to uplift talent that hasn’t always had the noise or safety to thrive fully.
“As artists we are told that the most important thing to do is make sure everyone knows who you are, you know, and queer artists don’t always have that luxury. There are places where it’s illegal for us to exist,” says MNEK.
At PROUD SOUND, honing your voice means more than just creating good songs. It’s about the community it cultivates, with its bold ambition to support long-term queer talent and creativity, and it doesn’t stop with Pride month.
“Lean into your weirdness,” says MNEK. “We’re in a time where individuality is so heralded and so lauded as just like what makes an artist, and it’s true, you know. I think everyone’s just leaning into what makes them special and especially queer people because we are special… Go where you’re wanted, where you’re appreciated, where you’re valued, where your talents can be accentuated, and that can be anywhere: a session, location, country, or relationship, that applies to so much. I love the community that I can build with PROUD SOUND.”
What are you listening to this summer? For more queer music updates, check out our Music news.
Nonchalant x
