A London artist of Filipino heritage, Drez Camino crafts indie-soul soundscapes still warm from the hazy confinement of the bedroom they were written in. Rooted in deep reflection yet raw in execution, his sound pulls from sodium-lit soul, VHS-punk grit and a voice that both enchants and burns, like cigarette smoke dancing into your eyes.
Raised in Reading, just an hour west of London, Drez’s childhood orbited an indie-rock culture that defined his identity yet denied his image. Never to see an Asian artist command the scene he loved, Drez Camino has never had the choice of imitation. Now, as he starts his own path, he faces nothing but an open space to make his own.
Just six months into his recording career, Drez has already headlined three London shows, including the O2 Academy Islington Main Stage. In December 2025, he released his debut single, For a Little While, which has since surpassed 23,000 streams and attracted early industry support.
The track earned discovery features from Clunk Magazine and Music Is To Blame, charted at #9 on the Future Hits Radio Top 40 (January 2026), and secured Spotify editorial placement on Our Generation. Music journalist Jeff Thomas described the release as “an excellent showcase of what could be the start of a wonderfully dynamic career for a very promising artist.”
Describe the moment you knew that you wanted to pursue music:
Probably my first gig at the Troubadour, in London. I had forgotten what it felt like to be sweaty and singing, seeing no one in the room because of how blinding and hot stage lights tend to be.
Nothing really came of the gig, but after being starved of performing for a few years it just reminded me that being on a stage and entertaining is one of the most joy-heralding things for me.
How does your heritage impact your art?
For me it’s quite difficult because while my parents are from the Philippines and I go quite often, I have never lived there nor speak Tagalog. So, I would feel wrong to claim that my music stems from my heritage directly. Of course, this is not to say that I’m completely detached – I’ve performed at a million pinoy family gatherings and so in some ways my culture has helped nurture a habitual penchant for performance.
However, growing up in England and being exposed to multi-ethnic musicians constantly, it did feel odd that none of my idols looked like me. Filipinos are present and visible in many other ways, yet feature rarely in western media and so, I just wanna fill that gap for all my south-east Asian bruddas out there!
What moment are you most proud of in your music journey so far?
My first single being realised and released. So so so much work went into making that and it turned out amazing. Big love to everyone who listened to it and all my wonderful friends who performed on the track and promoted it 💖💖
Your next music goal:
I think performing in one of those grassroots gig places in Shoreditch or something, like the Old Blue last or the George Tavern. I just want to get real sweaty and crash out like in all their photos.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who and why?
If he was still kicking, I’d LOVE to produce a disco track with Quincy Jones and his entourage - that genre is my obsession right now and I’d love for people to shake sum to my music.
Your favourite song/lyrics:
‘i hope my guys don’t get caught, I come like Man City Cah I give these youngers pep talk’ - Daily Duppy, Nines
(Not a diehard fan of nines but it’s a bar init.)
3 songs you're listening to right now:
Baby be mine - Michael Jackson
Space Road - Casiopea
Greatest hits - Skepta
Your community shout out:
Shoutout Sounds Nais and Manila Community Radio! People don’t realise how lit the music scene in the Philippines is so it’s time to put some respect on their name. Shoutout my cousins too who are killing it out there 💖
Anything else you'd like to share:
The next release that I’m cookin’ is lowkey about my dog.
CHAMPIONING ASIAN HERITAGE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
Across West to East Asian heritages - We aim to shatter stereotypes and help build bridge between genres, languages and sub regions. Evolving the definition of what being an Asian in the Western music scene entails.
We also have a strong focus on supporting and developing our community in the UK grassroots live scene. With 30 shows to date with 100+ artists on our stages.
