Pooneh Ghana
The members of Hippo Campus met in high school. Now they’ve played sold-out shows in the U.S., Korea and Thailand.
When four high school friends formed Hippo Campus in 2013, their highest aspiration was to play house shows for their friends. “I could desire nothing more than that,” says bassist Zach Sutton. “What’s happening now is just an extension of that.”
Over the next six years, Hippo Campus ticked off milestone band accomplishments at an impressive rate — EPs, a record deal, national and international tours, festival appearances, a late-night television debut and two full-length albums. “We’re having these experiences on the road, meeting these bands we fawned over in high school,” he says. “It’s like, ‘What the hell, you listen to our music? That’s kinda fucking weird.’”
Hippo Campus makes music that almost seems scientifically engineered to appeal to the college radio crowd. The sound exists somewhere within the nebulous realm of indie rock, perhaps catalogued somewhere between Tame Impala and Perfume Genius. Earlier recordings are more straightforward — bouncy, melodic and guitar-driven. But the band intentionally shifted style for their sophomore LP, Bambi, experimenting with a slower, heavier sound and electronic instruments. Both albums were produced by BJ Burton, who has worked with Midwestern artists such as Bon Iver, Low and Lizzo.
“It’s not been an identity crisis,” Sutton says. “It’s been an identity formation over the last couple years.” This type of evolution isn’t surprising coming from artists who are literally growing up alongside their musical project. “There’s a constant reimagining and recalibrating what [we] want out of the next couple steps,” Sutton says.
With the focus currently on touring, the band has yet to start working on a third album. But they’re constantly workshopping new music. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to pursue creative work, Sutton says, but it’s not without challenges. “Working in a group, you have to compromise, and compromises can lead to some conversations,” he says. “But what’s important is that we all know why we’re still here. We love the music we make, and each other.”
After releasing Landmark, Hippo Campus played their first sold-out shows at First Avenue in Minneapolis — a longtime goal and a surreal experience for the Twin Cities natives. Tours supporting Bambi have included sold-out shows in Korea and Thailand. The band credits much of their success to early support from the local music community and media outlets. “We always want to rep Minnesota,” Sutton says. “It’s where we grew up, where we became ourselves. We’d be nothing without that.”
Hippo Campus will be at The Sylvee on April 26. Click here for more info.
