Berkeley's Musical Exchange

In the words of Clem Zimmer, Cal alum and synth punk virtuoso, the Bay Area has a rich DIY music tradition. Zooming in on UC Berkeley and its adjacent co-op houses, backyard stages, and student stomping grounds, we can see that this legacy is alive and well. Attending a house show, once you’ve passed through the garden gates with their five dollar Venmo paywalls, you will see a lineup of incredibly talented creators playing original songs that draw from a plethora of genres. And if you pay close attention between sets, you can watch as performers shuffle back and forth across the stage, some leaving and some staying on, trading instruments as they go. In Berkeley, the boundaries between bands are not so rigid—one musician might play in multiple different groups, lending their time and effort to friends (and friends of friends) who need an extra hand on deck for a show. This is what makes Berkeley’s music scene so unique and special—it consists of a network of friendships, strengthened through interdependency, grounded in an intention to help and support each other.

At the center of this musical exchange network sit Clem and their friend, bandmate, and fellow Cal alum Kaamya Talwar Sharma. Kaamya fronts the well known and dearly loved indie band Chammeili, while Clem fronts the dungeon punk project AXE with other lead vocalist Collette Keating. Both are permanent fixtures in each others’ bands as bassists, and Kaamya opportunistically plays with other bands as well. The two met while living in the Stebbins Hall co-op in 2020, talking often of music with their other housemates and letting friendships develop from there. Confined by the pandemic, both Kaamya and Clem focused on recording their individual EPs, building the repertoire that they would unveil at future shows. Eventually, as venues reopened and the music scene sputtered back to life, both bands began to pick up speed, incorporating those same Stebbins housemates that had become natural choices for additions to the crew. “It all happened really organically,” said Kaamya. “We played together from the get go.” After going their separate ways in that preliminary post-pandemic phase, AXE and Chammeili converged at the 2021 People’s Park Anniversary show. Clem and Collette rocked out to a karaoke set of backing tracks they had previously recorded, while Chammeili sported a three-piece band. After seeing each other perform, Clem and Kaamya recognized an opportunity for collaboration. Kaamya remembers that turning point when a band member was absent and Chammeili needed someone to play bass for a gig. “We asked Clem to sit in and we were like wow…Clem please stay,” she said. As luck would have it, Clem did stick with Chammeili, and Kaamya joined AXE in turn. Rather than occupying one role as the front-people of their respective bands, they had the chance to assume new responsibilities and grow as a result.

Kaamya is the lead singer-songwriter at the heart of Chammeili, which comes with its benefits and drawbacks. “Being the front person is a lot of pressure, because you’re leading the band and you’re leading the audience at the same time,” they said. As a bassist in the backdrop of Clem and Collette’s escapades, they get to experience the thrill of the music without the anxieties that accompany the spotlight. It has helped them overcome their stage fright while building up new skills in the meantime. “I’ve always imagined that if I wasn’t a singer-songwriter who played guitar, I’d want to be a bassist, so this lets me play out that fantasy,” Kaamya said. “I couldn’t say I imagined playing bass in a hardcore synth punk band when I was younger, but the fact that I’m doing it now is so cool.” Playing with other bands in Berkeley also helped Kaamya find a comfortable rhythm in collaboration with others for the first time. “Before I met my current band and before playing with AXE, I wanted to be playing with people, but I just couldn’t seem to figure out how to make it work,” she said. Moving from New Delhi to London to New Mexico in their childhood, they struggled trying to continuously create with one group of people, but the supportive community they found in Berkeley made that dream possible. “It’s grown to feel like such a collaborative and positive thing,” they said. “I don’t feel isolated in the pursuit anymore.”

For Clem, playing with Chammeili as well as AXE has helped her come out of her shell. “I’m more naturally drawn to lock myself in my room and just record on my computer…it’s really easy to get lost in the sauce, only ever recording by yourself,” she said. Now, they’re fully incorporated in the mix of things as a member of both Chammeili and AXE. Playing in two bands is a big transition from the solo project mentality that Clem is used to, but her love of the music is what keeps her motivated. “Kaamya is such a good songwriter that I just get hyped when I hear the songs…whenever we play them it’s super fun and super exciting.” The friendship between them also transforms rehearsals into hangouts and an opportunity to stay in touch. “It never feels like work,” Clem said. “It feels like ‘I’m just gonna play some music with my friends.’’ Though it takes a lot to balance both projects, the end results are worth it. “We do kind of get stretched thin every now and then; it’ll be a Chammeili show one day and an AXE show the next day and we’ve got to practice for both of them with two different bands,” Clem said. “But in the end it pays off and it’s usually super cool.” Kaamya felt the same way. “I believe in the people that I’m playing with and they believe in me and we believe in each other’s projects,” she said. “I want to see AXE succeed and Clem wants to see Chammeili succeed.” Seeing another band leader’s approach to organizing practices and allocating parts has also inspired Clem in the way she runs AXE. “I feel like if it’s just me it gets off the rails a little bit,” they said. Taking cues from Kaamya has helped her reinvigorate her art and redirect her energy so that both bands can run smoothly.

Being in two bands also means getting twice the opportunities to play. Clem recently played Cornerstone with Chammeili, a big milestone in her journey as a musician. “I hadn’t actually played a real ass venue before, so that was super fun,” she said. The overlap between the bands also makes it easier to assemble a lineup for shows. “If you know a few people from both bands are gonna be there [playing for one band], it’s pretty easy to just add the other onto it. They’re already driving up anyway” Clem said. On top of that, an eager crowd is almost always guaranteed because of the close relationships among all members of the music scene and their enthusiasm to show up. “That’s another part of the music homie community,” Kaamya said. “We all come out to support each other.” Behind the scenes, cables and amps and guitars change hands, equipment floats back and forth between houses as everyone takes what they need and lends what they can spare.

Kaamya and Clem’s love, sweat, and tears have helped to create this spiderweb network of bright minds coming together where cross-band collaboration is commonplace and mutual support is the modus vivendi. They are already taking steps to pass down this culture to the next generation, always eager to welcome new faces and introduce themselves at shows. Clem hopes to remain in the Bay as she finds her footing post-graduation and continues her badass activities with AXE. Kaamya has also made the conscious decision to stay in Berkeley, playing shows with their dear friends and working on the next Chammeili album which is set to be released this spring. They have expressed an interest in transplanting Chammeili someday, to New York or wherever they will find new opportunities for growth, someplace they can set down roots and create new relationships and intimacies. But for now you can catch Clem and Kaamya at their next shows, where they will undoubtedly bring the house down and inspire more future musicians of the Berkeley milieu.