Camp Cope is kicking off its U.S. tour at PhilaMOCA in June; read a review of How To Socialise & Make Friends

Camp Cope | photo courtesy of the artist

Camp Cope is the kind of band that, when they release new material, you know you need to listen right away — not only because their songs are gorgeously crafted and just the right amount of catchy, but because there’s an urgency to Georgia Maq and crew’s music, a sense of importance that can’t be ignored. Luckily, our wait for new Camp Cope tunes is over. How To Socialise & Make Friends is out now via Run For Cover Records, and it’s the Australian trio’s most powerful release yet.

To go along with the album, the band announced a run of U.S. tour dates, which launch Thursday, June 21st at PhilaMOCA in Fishtown. Scrantonian indie rock singer-songwriter Petal joins them, and more information on the gig can be found at the XPN Concert Calendar. 

Camp Cope has never shied away from heavy subject matter, and their new songs are as personal as ever — but what was once diaristic is now political, as if the trio’s internal lives have been turned inside out by the angering state of the world and the music industry itself. The band’s bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich recently wrote an essay on discrimination and violence in the music industry, and that sentiment comes through in full force on the new album. How To Socialise & Make Friends is an impassioned fight against the patriarchy, striking a balance between fiery and world-weary; it’s the kind of album you don’t hear enough but feels so, so necessary.

The new album opens, fittingly, with “The Opener,” a single the band shared awhile back that takes on the lack of diverse representation in the music industry as Maq sings, “Yeah, just get a female opener, that’ll fill the quota,” her voice dripping with sarcasm but serious as ever. Another standout track is “The Face of God,” which tackles breaches of consent and trust: “Could it be true? You don’t seem like that kind of guy. Not you, you’ve got that one song that I like.” Closing track “I’ve Got You” ends the album on a quiet, poignant note with emotions ranging from grief and disappointment to comfort and relief.

Though they hail all the way from faraway in Melbourne, Australia, Camp Cope always seem to feel right at home here in Philly. Their last appearance in town was for a spontaneous gig last summer, and before that they released a split EP with our own hometown heroes Cayetana. Now, with Camp Cope launching tour at PhilaMOCA, it’s safe to say they’ll receive a warm Philly welcome.

In 2016, The Key named Camp Cope’s self-titled debut LP an album not to overlook. Now, two years later, Camp Cope has made the kind of album you couldn’t overlook if you tried. Listen to How To Socialise & Make Friends in full below, and check out the band’s spring tour dates (and poster) below; get more information on the upcoming Philly show on the XPN Concert Calendar.

Tour Dates
6/21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Philamoca
6/22 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
6/24 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
6/26 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
6/27 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
6/29 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
6/30 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
7/02 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
7/03 – Portland, OR @ Holocene
7/05 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
7/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theatre
7/07 – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
7/08 – La Jolla, CA @ Che Cafe
7/09 – Phoenix, AZ @Rebel Lounge
7/11 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
7/12 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda
7/13 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
7/15 – Orlando, FL @ Soundbar
7/16 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade Purgatory
7/17 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room
7/18 – Washington, DC @ DC9
7/19 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents
7/20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
7/21 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair