Juan R. Govea
Audio By Carbonatix
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who revealed her run for Senate with the help of Cure for Paranoia frontman Cameron McCloud on Instagram, will precede the band on stage at their Dec. 26 Trees concert.
McCloud told the Observer that at the start of 2025, he set a goal for himself in response to President Donald Trump’s election: He would do a “daily verse” and post it on Instagram. Every. Single. Day. It was a way for him to push the boundaries of his creativity and propel his career.
“Whenever Trump got elected, I was like, I’m going to put everything I can into music so that when things go south, I can make sure that I’m in a good enough place, or I can make sure that the only thing that’s going to get me out of here is music,” he said. “So I’m going to put my all into music to make sure that I’m good.”
On Monday, Dec 8, Crockett announced her run for Senate shortly after Colin Allred stepped down from the race, and on that same day, McCloud posted one of his daily verses with Crockett by his side.
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According to McCloud, the collaboration came after Crockett shared one of his daily verses on Instagram, followed his account, and began regularly engaging with his often-political content. About a week before she announced her campaign, he said she reached out to him with the opportunity, which he now finds ironic, considering his initial motivation for starting the series.
“It made me stop and really appreciate how much we do sometimes sell ourselves short,” McCloud said, explaining that the opportunity humbled him and made him consider the growth he has achieved this year through pushing his creative limits.
Following their daily verse collaboration, which has garnered 4 million views at the time of writing, McCloud invited Crockett to his concert. She insisted that not only would she be attending, but she would also get up on stage and speak.
McCloud also recorded a daily verse in the Dallas Observer’s office days after his collaboration with Crockett, in order to promote the upcoming concert. (The Observer is a sponsor for the concert, but is not endorsing a candidate, just the music.)
On Friday, Dec 26, Cure for Paranoia will take the stage at Trees for the release of their EP Work of A.R.T. with an introduction by Crockett. A.R.T is an acronym for “A Reality in Transparency.” McCloud described the EP as a decade-long journey to discovering what Cure for Paranoia really is: having the freedom to be authentic to oneself.
“I have a line in one of my daily verses this year where I say ‘I ain’t everybody’s cup of tea, but bitch I’m ayahuasca,’” he said. “Regardless of how you feel about my art, you are watching me literally go through the experiences of finding and becoming myself in real time.”
In August, McCloud released a single titled No Brainer, but this concert will be a showcase for the entire EP which will be released on Dec 22.
Cure for Paranoia will perform on Friday, Dec 26, at 7 p.m., at Trees, 2709 Elm St. Tickets are available starting at $30.35 on Prekindle.
