Hippo Campus

In the summer of 2023, the band Hippo Campus found themselves facing a major problem while preparing for a sold-out amphitheater show. They realized that their fourth LP wasn’t meeting their expectations. Singer Jake Luppen had been evaluating the band’s work and felt that the soul of their music was missing. Despite their ambition to create a deeper and more profound record that reflected their changing lives, they were not satisfied with the result.

A year earlier, after celebrating the release of their third LP, the band received news of a close friend’s unexpected death. This event, coupled with the encroachment of adulthood, reminded them of the significance of their art, friendship, and life. They made a commitment to create something exceptional, even if it meant taking five years to accomplish it. To achieve this, they took significant measures such as getting sober, attending therapy as a full band, and writing over 100 songs in a year.

However, as they worked on the album, they realized that they were not happy with what they were creating. Faced with this realization, they made a bold decision to start over. Three months later, the band and their longtime producer, along with a new producer, rendezvoused at a studio complex and gave themselves only 10 days to record their best tracks without second-guessing or looking back.

The result of this intense effort was their album “Flood,” which the band considers their best work to date. The album reflects their experiences with vulnerability, urgency, and the complexities of their lives. Despite the challenges of success and the pressures of the music industry, the band learned to grow as individuals while preserving their special bond.

The album “Flood” encapsulates their ability to transform personal experiences into captivating songs. Tracks such as “Forget It” and “Closer” capture the themes of love, trust, and vulnerability. The band’s song “Brand New” portrays the journey from heartbreak to finding something better, while “Tooth Fairy” delves into the confusion of changing circumstances. The album’s overall message is one of empowerment and self-forgiveness, embracing the complexity of human emotions and experiences.

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