It’s gettin’ a little reckless over here!
Just over a year after introducing themselves with their debut album Up at Night, Portland synth-pop duo Camp Crush is already back to shake things up.
The husband-and-wife team of Jen Deale and Chris Spicer is set to release their sophomore LP, Bite the Bullet, on May 29th, but they aren’t making fans wait that long for new music.
We sat down with the duo to discuss the rapid-fire follow-up to their debut, trading perfectionism for raw honesty, and the magic of working with their “dream team” of producers.
They also open up about the deeply personal themes running through the new record, the hilarious moment a burrito delivery interrupted their music video shoot, and why, after a busy year of releases, they’re already dreaming of a vacation.
HAPPY: What’d you get up to today?
CAMP CRUSH: We’re in the middle of a really exciting time, releasing the first single off our new record.
So, most days we’re spending time promoting our new song, planning for the upcoming releases, finalizing vinyl details, and so many emails. So so so many emails.
We’re also headed out on a quick run of shows, so prepping for that. It’s been really fun, although I think when this record comes out, we’ll be ready for a vacation.
HAPPY: Tell us a little about where you’re from, and what you love about it!
CAMP CRUSH: We’re from beautiful Portland, Oregon! We both have been here for much of our adult lives and we love it.
Great music scene, great food, beautiful scenery. And we’ve all heard of the slogan, “Keep Portland Weird.” And it’s true.
We love the uniqueness and quirkiness of this city! So much art and activism. It’s a really inspiring place to make music.
HAPPY: Congratulations on Reckless Phase! You’ve mentioned it sets the tone for the new album Bite the Bullet. In your own words, what is that tone, and what can fans expect from the record?
CAMP CRUSH: Bite the Bullet is our sophomore album, following our debut record, Up at Night. Up at Night really established our sound, who we are as a band, and we are so proud of it.
Bite the Bullet, to us, is the next step. We’re getting honest about a lot of deep topics, we’re taking the dance element of our music one step further, we explored a lot of darker synth (think Depeche Mode) sounds.
And Reckless Phase is a perfect example of all of that. The song, like much of the record, is about leaving behind a past of perfectionism and letting yourself be you, even if its flawed, even if its edgy.
The synth-scape and powerful drums in this song are a great opener to what else is to come on the record.
HAPPY: You worked with Cameron Spies and Troy Welstad on this record. What did each of them bring to the table to help realize your vision for this “darker and dancier” sound?
CAMP CRUSH: Cam was really an incredible producer to choose for this record. We really needed someone to help us craft really interesting and fun bass parts and to build layers of synths.
While in the studio, he gave both of us a lot of freedom to explore, said yes to trying all of our ideas and I think some magic really came out of that partnership.
Troy is a through and through pop producer and mixer and he brought that level of polish and pop sensibility to the forefront of these songs. I think working with the two of them was really the perfect pairing.
HAPPY: A music video often adds a new visual layer to a song. Can you describe the concept behind the video for Reckless Phase and how it complements the track’s themes?
CAMP CRUSH: We had so much fun making this music video. We’re performers, but are really used to performing live and on stage for fans.
This music video, we wanted to bring that energy of unleashing imperfection and raw femininity to the video. I think we accomplished it – we really hope y’all love it.
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HAPPY: Were there any memorable or funny moments from the set of the Reckless Phase video shoot that you can share with us?
CAMP CRUSH: We recorded this video in a really cool studio called Prose Pro here in the Portland metro.
It’s a great space. But it’s a small studio with a door to the outside. And again, we were really trying to bring this fierce energy to the video.
Right in the middle of a particularly energetic take, the outside door flung open and a delivery person yelled “I’ve got your burrito!”
And then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was going on, haha. We all died laughing. Maybe we should have included that in the video!
HAPPY: As a husband-and-wife duo, how does your personal dynamic influence your creative process, both in writing and in the studio?
CAMP CRUSH: We know there have been quite a few infamous husband/wife duos that haven’t made it a long partnership together in music, haha.
But, for Chris and I, it actually really works. I think part of that is that we really thrive in opposite parts of the creative process and we both really admire each other for our approaches to creativity. I, for one, love songwriting.
Putting the basic bones of a song together, the melody, the chords, the lyrics, the basic vibe. That is like therapy for me. But Chris really thrives in the production and shaping part of that process.
So, I’ll come up with a concept and he will help shape the energy, the tone, the structure of it. Over the many years we’ve been partnering together like this, it’s really helped me grow as a songwriter and to think about even the early concepts and stages of songwriting differently.
We don’t try to do what the other person does, and I think that makes for a great partnership.
HAPPY: With the album release set for May 29th, what are your plans for the rest of 2026? Can fans expect any tour dates or live performances to support Bite the Bullet?
CAMP CRUSH: We have three more singles coming out in a pretty rapid succession over the next few months.
Our last record took about a year too long to release, and so with Bite the Bullet, we wanted to do just that: bite the bullet and get these songs out into the world.
So, I hope everyone tunes into our Instagram, TikTok or email newsletter to stay aware of new releases dropping over the next few months. We’ll be playing shows in support of the album, with some touring happening later in the year.
HAPPY: Is there a deep cut on the new album that you’re particularly excited for longtime fans to hear, and why that song?
CAMP CRUSH: The last song on the record is called “For those who’ve gone before” – it’s definitely an outlier on the album from a musical tone perspective, but from a thematic perspective, I think it fits right in.
I lost my mom a few years ago and the impact of that grief and loss is something that I’ve been waiting to write about until now. This song is about how no one out there can make you happy, whole, or complete – you have to do it for yourself.
And as women, our mothers, grandmothers and ancestors didn’t always have the ability to make those choices. So, now, in the current age, it’s all of our responsibilities to do it for ourselves in honor of them, for those who couldn’t make those choices themselves.
I think it’s a really beautiful song and I hope people connect with it.
HAPPY: Lastly, what makes you happy?
CAMP CRUSH: Good music and food, family and… our cats. Haha, we have three cats! And one of them is a kitten and they just bring us a lot of joy.
I know, we’re cat people…. having three at home is absolutely ridiculous, but we apparently need them around to keep us grounded and in joy.
