Jump to content

Camp Cope

From Alfawiki
Camp Cope
Company typeIndependent band
IndustryMusic
Founded2015
Headquarters
Melbourne
,
Australia
ProductsMusic albums, singles, live performances

Camp Cope was an alternative rock group originating from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, established in 2015. The trio consisted of Georgia "Georgia Maq" McDonald, who handled lead vocals, songwriting, and guitar duties; Kelly-Dawn "Kelso" Hellmrich on bass; and Sarah "Thomo" Thompson on drums. They were signed to the independent Melbourne-based label Poison City Records—where Thompson is also employed—and their releases were distributed across North America and Europe through Boston’s Run for Cover Records. In February 2023, Camp Cope announced their decision to dissolve the band, accompanied by a series of farewell performances.

Their musical style merges influences reminiscent of artists such as Courtney Barnett and Juliana Hatfield, characterized as "melodic, uplifting and aching." McDonald described their sound as "power emo," blending power pop elements with emotive undertones.

2015–2020: Camp Cope and How to Socialise & Make Friends

Before forming Camp Cope, McDonald was active in Australia’s singer-songwriter circuit. She joined forces with bassist Hellmrich—who had previously played with Sydney’s Palmar Grasp—and drummer Thompson, formerly part of Brisbane’s Razel. The band’s name pays homage to Sydney’s Camp Cove, reflecting Hellmrich’s feelings of homesickness. Early on, they supported acts including The Hotelier, AJJ, and Waxahatchee while gradually building a following through headlining gigs.

Their self-titled debut album was released in April 2016 via Poison City Records and produced by Sam Johnson. It debuted at number 36 on the ARIA albums chart and received widespread critical praise. The album earned a nomination for the J Award’s Australian Album of the Year and garnered six nominations at the first National Live Music Awards, winning the Heatseeker Award. It was also named Album of the Year by FasterLouder and helped them secure Best Emerging Act at The Age’s Music Victoria Awards. Their track "Lost: Season One" was featured on Like a Version alongside a cover rendition of "Maps."

In late 2016, Camp Cope toured Australia alongside Philadelphia-based band Cayetana. Following this tour, Poison City Records released a limited-edition split single featuring both groups. Throughout 2017, Camp Cope provided support for tours by Against Me! and Modern Baseball, embarked on a US tour with Worriers, appeared at St Jerome's Laneway Festival, and sold out two performances at Sydney Opera House’s Drama Theatre. They recorded their sophomore album towards the end of that year.

How to Socialise & Make Friends was launched on 2 March 2018 through Poison City and Run for Cover Records. The release was followed by a US co-headlining tour with labelmates Petal in mid-2018 and a UK/European tour supporting English band Caves. Early 2019 marked their first headlining North American tour with support from Thin Lips, Oceanator, and An Horse; during this run McDonald introduced new songs live for the first time. Later that year in September, they toured the UK alongside post-punk outfit Witching Waves.

In 2019, Camp Cope was ranked third on Happy Mag’s list highlighting "the 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now."

2021–2023: Running with the Hurricane and disbandment

In November 2021, Camp Cope unveiled the single "Blue," which Rolling Stone featured as a "Song You Need to Know." On 19 January 2022, the group revealed plans for their third studio album, Running with the Hurricane, scheduled for release on 25 March 2022. The album’s title track was released shortly after, on 21 January 2022. Both the album and its lead single take their name from "Running with the Hurricane", a song by Australian folk band Redgum, whose member Hugh McDonald was Maq’s late father. Maq shared on Instagram that although she did not favor the original track, its title held significant personal meaning for her.

In February 2023, Camp Cope announced a performance in Melbourne as part of the Brunswick Music Festival, marking their final show in their hometown and confirming the band's breakup. Later, in June 2023, they revealed their ultimate concert would take place at the Sydney Opera House on October 13, 2023.

Side projects

Each member of Camp Cope has pursued collaborations and side projects outside the band.

Hellmrich performs under the solo moniker Kelso and has worked alongside Gab Strum from Japanese Wallpaper as well as Xavier Rubetzki Noonan of Self Talk. Kelso’s music, characterized as 'quirky and endearing tunes for quirky and endearing listeners,' includes several singles and the EP Always a Godmother, Never a God.

McDonald, performing solo as Georgia Maq, has released two acoustic EPs: Friends and Bowlers Run (2013) and With a Q (2014). The song "Footscray Station" from With a Q was later recorded by Camp Cope as a B-side to their single "Keep Growing." In 2015, she also issued a split seven-inch with Spencer Scott. Her first full-length solo album, Pleaser (2019), is a pop record she described as blending elements of "Paul Westerberg meets Robyn." In 2021, McDonald announced she was working on new solo material without a fixed release date, emphasizing greater artistic freedom and a departure from Camp Cope’s style.

Outside her solo work, McDonald served as lead vocalist for punk band Würst Nürse and appeared on their debut EP Hot Hot Hot before departing in 2018 following multiple vocal surgeries. Additionally, she briefly played with Melbourne-based indie rock group Employment.

Thompson has contributed drums to Melbourne indie rock band TV Haze, which has issued three albums since 2016.

Activism

In 2016, Camp Cope initiated the It Takes One campaign aimed at preventing and addressing harassment at concerts and festivals. The campaign featured t-shirts bearing the message 'The Person Wearing This T-shirt Stands Against Sexual Assault And Demands A Change.' The initiative received support from artists such as Courtney Barnett, Chris Farren, DZ Deathrays, Ecca Vandal, Dune Rats, and Alex Lahey.

During the 2017 Falls Festival, Camp Cope modified the lyrics of "The Opener" to draw attention to the scarcity of female performers in the festival lineup. In October of that year, they played shows to raise funds for Girls Rock! Australia, an organization dedicated to reducing gender disparities in Australia’s music scene by empowering female and non-male identifying teenage musicians.

Musical style

Camp Cope is distinguished by McDonald’s commanding vocal delivery, Hellmrich’s unique bass patterns, and Thompson’s consistent drumming. Their music is often characterized as raw and stripped-back rock infused with punk influences, featuring lyrics that express genuine human emotions with unfiltered sincerity. Typically, songwriting begins with McDonald’s initial demos, which are then collaboratively refined into complete songs.

Themes

In 2016, Hellmrich characterized lead vocalist and songwriter Georgia McDonald as deeply engaged in conspiracy theories. McDonald described the track "Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams" as a direct challenge to individuals who reject the notion that 9/11 was orchestrated internally. She compared such disbelief to denying accountability in cases of sexual assault. McDonald clarified that "JFCMSB" is not derived from an internet meme but reflects a hard truth. The song critiques the manipulation of facts by media and society, highlighting topics such as victim blaming and the events surrounding 9/11.

Members

  • Georgia Mcdonald – lead vocals, guitar, piano
  • Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich – bass guitar
  • Sarah Thompson – drums
Touring musicians
  • Jennifer Aslett – guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2022–2023)
  • Lou Hanman – bass (2019, 2022; stand-in for Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich)

Studio albums

Catalog of studio albums including release dates, labels, and notable chart rankings
Title Album information Highest chart positions
AUS
Camp Cope
  • Released: 22 April 2016
  • Label: Poison City (PCR120CD)
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 36
How to Socialise & Make Friends
  • Released: 2 March 2018
  • Label: Poison City (PCR150CD)
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
 6
Running with the Hurricane
  • Released: 25 March 2022
  • Label: Poison City (PCR180CD)
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming
 11

Live albums

Compilation of live albums with release dates and labels
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS
Triple J Live at the Wireless – The Metro, Sydney 2018
  • Released: 29 March 2021
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
 —
Live at Sydney Opera House
  • Released: 17 October 2025
  • Formats: Vinyl, digital download
 20

EPs

EP releases including dates and labels
Title Release details
Camp Cope / Cayetana Split
(collaboration with Cayetana)
  • Released: 20 January 2017
  • Label: Poison City
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Camp Cope On Audiotree Live
  • Released: 15 August 2017
  • Label: Poison City
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

Singles list with release years and associated albums
Title Year released Corresponding album
"Lost (Season One)" 2016 Camp Cope
"Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams"
"Done"
"Keep Growing" Cayetana Split
"The Opener" 2017 How to Socialise & Make Friends
"How to Socialise & Make Friends" 2018
"Blue" 2021 Running with the Hurricane
"Running with the Hurricane" 2022
"Jealous"

Music videos

Title Year Director Ref.
"Lost (Season One)" 2016 Anoushka Wootton [1]
"Done" Paul Voge [2]
"The Opener" 2018 Versus [3]
"Sagan-Indiana" Anoushka Wootton [4]
"Running With the Hurricane" 2022 James J. Robinson & Rachael Morrow [5]
"Sing Your Heart Out" Natalie van den Dungen [6]

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards, known as the AIR Awards, are held yearly to honour and highlight achievements within Australia's independent music community.

Year Work Category Result Ref.
2017 themselves Breakthrough Independent Artist Template:Nom [7]
2019 How to Socialise & Make Friends Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album Template:Nom [8]
2023 Running with the Hurricane Best Independent Rock Album or EP Template:Nom [9]

ARIA Music Awards

Since their inception in 1987, the ARIA Music Awards—organized by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)—celebrate outstanding achievement and creativity across all Australian music genres.

! |- | 2018 || How to Socialise & Make Friends || Best Rock Album || || [10] |}


Australian Music Prize

Since its inception in 2005, the Australian Music Prize (AMP) has annually granted $30,000 to an Australian solo artist or band in recognition of exceptional album releases, with the goal of identifying and supporting emerging Australian musical talent.


! |- | 2016 | Camp Cope | Australian Music Prize | | |- | 2022 | Running with the Hurricane | Australian Music Prize | | |-

Australian Women in Music Awards

Established in 2018, the Australian Women in Music Awards celebrate women who have made notable impacts within the Music of Australia sector each year.


|- | rowspan="2" | 2018 | Camp Cope | Breakthrough Artist Award |


J Award

The J Awards, created by Triple J, the youth radio division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commenced in 2005 to annually honor outstanding achievements in Australian music.


|- | 2016 | Camp Cope | Australian Album of the Year | |- | 2018 | How to Socialise and Make Friends | Australian Album of the Year |


Music Victoria Awards

Since 2005, the Music Victoria Awards have been held yearly to acknowledge excellence within Victoria’s music scene.


|- | rowspan="4"| 2016 | Camp Cope | Best Album | |- | "Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams" | Best Song | |- | rowspan="2"| themselves | Best Band | |- | Best Emerging Artist | |- | rowspan="4"| 2018 | rowspan="2"| How to Socialise & Make Friends | Best Album | |- | Best Rock/Punk Album | |- | "The Opener" | Best Song | |- | themselves | Best Band | |- | 2022 | Camp Cope | Best Group |

National Live Music Awards

Since its inception in 2016, the National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) have celebrated outstanding achievements within Australia's live music sector.

! |- | rowspan="3" | 2016 | Georgia Maq (Camp Cope) | Live Voice of the Year | | rowspan="3" | [11] |- | Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich (Camp Cope) | Live Bassist of the Year | |- | themselves | The Heatseeker Award (Best New Artist) | |- | rowspan="5" | 2017 | Sarah Thompson (Camp Cope) | Live Drummer of the Year | | rowspan="5" | [12][13] |- | Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich (Camp Cope) | Live Bassist of the Year | |- | rowspan="3" | themselves | International Live Achievement (Group) | |- | People's Choice - Live Act of the Year | |- | Victorian Live Act of the Year | |- | rowspan="6" | 2018 | rowspan="3" | themselves | Live Act of the Year | | rowspan="6" | [14][15] |- | International Live Achievement (Band) | |- | Industry Achievement | |- | Georgia Maq (Camp Cope) | Live Voice of the Year | |- | Sarah Thompson (Camp Cope) | Live Drummer of the Year | |- | Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich (Camp Cope)

  • Live Bassist of the Year
  • -
  • rowspan="3"| 2023
  • Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich (Camp Cope)
  • Best Live Bassist
  • rowspan="3"| [16][17]
  • -
  • Sarah Thompson (Camp Cope)
  • Best Live Drummer
  • -
  • Georgia Maq (Camp Cope)
  • Best Live Voice in Victoria


References

  1. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 17nom
  8. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2019nom
  9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AIRnoms2023
  10. ↑ ARIA Award previous winners. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2016noms&wins
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2017noms
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2017wins
  14. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2018noms
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2018wins
  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2023noms
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NLMA2023wins
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Camp_Cope&oldid=87363"