Camp Out
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Camp Out

San Francisco, California, United States | INDIE

San Francisco, California, United States | INDIE
Band Alternative Pop

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"Paul McLellan, Q101 Radio and Shaw TV"

“Camp Out's debut album is well worth the listen, what attracted me first to them was the catchy, fun harmonies that reminded me of Tegan and Sara, but as I heard the entire album, I found a new sound with great voices from both Hanks and Law. Well worth throwing on for a road trip, or just after a long day.”
- Paul McLellan, Q101 Radio and Shaw TV


"Groove Effect"

Energetic, enthusiastic, new comers Maddy and Jackie makeup the two-piece indie pop band, Camp Out. Having recently finished their first album, these San Francisco natives are beginning to play live shows as often as possible and gain a fan base, which shouldn't be hard for the Tegan and Sara esq duo.

These dedicated ladies have a DIY approach to their music, managing, producing, and running everything on their own. They modestly admit to being compared to Metric, Rilo Kiley, and other well known female vocal indie bands, and the comparison is accurate. Check out their catchy pop vocals over folky guitar and support the local San Francisco music scene. - Groove Effect Magazine


"Citizen Dick"

Eight seconds in to Closer, the new release by San Francisco pop duo Camp Out, and you are immediately dispatched to the mid-90s. And not just the mid-90s, but a very particular time and head space of that bygone decade: the girl rock that charged both coasts, but particularly the left one, and frequently dominated alt-rock radio programming and top tens. Even now, in an era where writing things like girl rock seems offensive and limiting, one cannot but help to get a positive vibe when thinking about bands like Belly, Elastica, Mazzy Star, and Garbage. This is half the reason why I really like this new Camp Out record; the other half is that bandmates Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law execute what they put forward really well, in a way that makes you think of the very finest Veruca Salt ever had to offer.

If I was a publicist writing one-sheets for retail joints and radio stations, I’d say something like “for listeners who like That Dog and Helium” and then name drop acts like Magnapop and Suddenly Tammy later on in the text. This is not to say that Camp Out is merely a 90s revival act., however. Far from it, in fact. While they do possess the shared characteristics noted above, they also pull in sonic influences that have come since and from well before. Much of the album resides in the central grouping of a venn diagram of post-punk, twee pop, and emo, with light-hearted explorations of co-dependence like “Car Crash,” “Bones,” and “Does it Hurt” best threading all three needles simultaneously.The distorted fuzz varies elsewhere, from the excellent, Breeders-esque title track to the sludgier and sloppier bass-heavy quasi-dub “Separately.” Hanks and Law even inject a classic folk influence into tracks like “Small Steps” and “Leave a Light On.” Perhaps the album’s best arranged song is “Flying Back,” which calls to mind the vocals and song structure of elusive Texas songstress Jenny Morgan while adding a layer of grungy guitars and metronomic percussion that drops in and out at different times and levels to create a song that is somehow tight yet ever evolving and stylistically dynamic. Also worth laudatory note is “Make Myself Sick,” a driving ditty Justine Frischmann herself would be proud of and one where Hanks and Law show the impressive degree to which the former’s guitar work and the latter’s skill on the kit are in sync. The production element of the track also deserves a shout out to whoever was in the booth when this one was put down.

In all, Closer is an album of conflict and yearning, a good record for couples in a rough patch destined to get rougher to be listening to this long Valentine’s weekend. If I had to guess – and I suppose I will – I’d say this record was written in a period preceding a break-up. Or at least in a period that probably should have preceded one. - Citizen Dick


"The OCMD"

I can’t help but draw references to Tegan and Sara when I listen to the San Francisco indie pop duo, Camp Out, comprised of Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law. And that’s not a bad thing. Their debut album, Closer, is due to release March 15 on Swordfish Records. In the meantime you can spot them playing around town at any of these venues. - The OCMD


"Curve Magazine April 2010"

Watch out, Tegan and Sara, there's a new cute female duo making waves on the indie pop-rock scene. San Franciscans Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law make upbeat, lo-fi tunes that are sure to warm little gay hearts everywhere. "Car Crash" is the highlight here, with its sing-song melodies, distorted guitars and sweet love lyrics, but the whole album is solid. - Curve Magazine


"SF Weekly"

What really sets these women apart is their talent for multitasking on stage--watching them play live is a bit dizzying. Law, 24, plays drum machine, drums, and keys simultaneously while Hanks, 22 manages vocals, guitar, and loop stations. Coming in a little over at 37 minutes, their debut album Closer is a breezy record that delves into sugary sweet, bubble-gum pop territory--as on the album opener "Car Crash," and "Make Myself Sick." The latter half the record switches moods a bit, offering a slightly mellow tone that layers darker lyrics over slow synth beats or an acoustic guitar - SF Weekly


"The Bay Bridged"

DIY doesn’t get much better than this. Camp Out is a fairly new addition to the Bay Area indie scene, comprised of Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law as both musicians.
The music within Closer is everything you already know and enjoy from the best sources of female-led indie pop – Tegan and Sara, the Cardigans, Mates of State, Metric – without compromising originality or pigeonholing the band into the somewhat problematic category of “girl rock.” Instead, the light-hearted themes mix with comprehensive structure and effervescent distortion, creating an overall infectious and multi-layered debut. - The Bay Bridged


"East Bay Express"

“Contributing to San Francisco's vibrant indie-pop scene, Camp Out
makes comfortable, upbeat music that should appeal to fans of
mainstream pop and independent music alike. Band members
Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law co-produced and self-released
Closer without any label support, but their melodies and
harmonies best most industry-groomed pop.” - East Bay Express


"Junior's Cave"

“What makes this talented duo especially appealing is their ability to complement each other musically. With a sound that encompasses several musical genres,Camp Out has managed to create something magical and exciting that music lovers all around the world are loving.” - Junior's Cave


"Wildy's World"

“Camp Out has captured a highly infectious hook here in a
pleasing arrangement, and Maddy Hanks' clear, unadorned
voice makes it all click. Camp Out also gets points for one of the
most unusual analogies in Pop Music in the song Swordfish.” - Wildy's World


Discography

Closer LP - 2010
Camp Out EP - 2008

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Bio

On a balmy night in 2007 Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law, two bright eyed Berkeley students, formed the duo better known as Camp Out. An endeavor sought to satisfy musical and creative cravings, Camp Out also provides a therapeutic and cathartic space for its two members. It comes as no surprise that resident drummer Law loves to bang things, and Hanks is working toward living down her show-and-tell embarrassment in grammar school when she presented Phillip Glass' soundtrack for Mishima as her token object. Hanks (Guitar/Vocals) and Law (Drums/Synth/Drum Machine/Vocals) recorded and self-released a 10-song demo which they began passing around at shows and to friends. The demo got into aspiring producer Shaw Water’s hands, and after a chance encounter in a dark alley, he was on board to record their debut album. A year later, Camp Out has a solid, 12-song indie pop record, and a creative, well-practiced live set--Jackie plays many songs with one stick, tapping out catchy synth melodies while singing backups as the drum machine fills the space. Maddy loops her voice and guitar to create solid, interesting and well-arranged songs. Camp Out has played all over the state of California and no longer need therapy.

Radio:
CJSW - Calgary
WERU - Bangor
WMXM - Lake Forest
KHSU - Humboldt
SCAD - Savannah
WUNH - Durham
CFUV - Victoria
KSCU - Santa Clara
WMHD - Terre Haute
WMCX - West Long Branch
CJAM - Windsor