Peering out from the suburbs of Melbourne comes CAMP COPE, a band with relatively little experience but a whole lot of heart. At risk of throwing them into a box with no way out, the band write songs in a similar vein to fellow Aussies The Smith Street Band – although the newly founded three-piece do have their own folksy tendencies and unique viewpoint. Having formed only a short six months ago, CAMP COPE are one of the most promising acts circulating our local scene at the moment and I have a feeling they’ll rapidly grow from here.
Melbourne trio CAMP COPE may only be a a few months old but the band are already kicking goals with breezy melodies and intense lyrical themes.
To say this band comes under slacker rock doesn’t seem fitting considering how thoughtful and inherently beautiful their music is. Whilst new to dipping their toes in the thriving kiddy pool of Australia’s music industry, CAMP COPE’s first demo Stove Lighter already shows a wave of promise and splashes of young, eager talent. The song, inspired by lead singer and guitarist Georgia Maq’s take on dealing with depression, stands as four and a half minutes of blissfully breezy melodies and Courtney Barnett-esque honesty about a shitty situation.
It’s an impressive feat to be able to tightly pack such raw and glaring emotion into a ‘nice’ song with rolling bass chords and a gentle steady rhythm, and on first listen it’s not hard to overlook said emotion in favour of that overarching gloriously Australian sound. But look a little closer and you’ll start uncovering cathartic gems of wisdom, like “Now I read my text books like The Bible. There’s something about truth that makes existence bearable,” hidden amongst fleeting anecdotes. There is a nonchalant blood running through the veins of Stove Lighter but it only adds to the mentioned moments of pain distantly strung together.
Maq’s vocals come to a soaring peak towards the end of the song as she desperately wails “All this time it made sense to me why life was so unfair, because the universe don’t know and the universe don’t care. It took years to figure out everyone else had shit on their mind, and the darkness that lives inside of me looks exactly like you sometimes.” It’s moments like this which really capture your attention, subtly highlighting the talent and maturity CAMP COPE incorporate into their songwriting, far beyond their years.
CAMP COPE have just had a killer few months supporting the likes of The Hard Aches and HANNAHBAND, and playing at Melbourne’s WeekenderFest. They’re hoping to get an album out sometime in the next year but in the meantime, you can grab one of their pretty sweet T-shirts here and sit tight until the three-piece next play a show near you.
