Hippo Campus’ Flood Tour Was a Decade in the Making

In 2013, a group of Minnesota high schoolers formed what one day would become one of the most beloved bands in the modern indie-rock scene. Their first body of work, an EP titled Tarzan Rejects, included breakout song “South” which was later included on subsequent EPs after they signed to indie label Grand Jury Records. Label backing helped them earn spots on festival lineups and a late-night television performance.

In the more than a decade since their formation, a lot has changed. However, the band stays true to their roots, taking a “Midwest mindset” approach to their career, opting for slow and steady growth. They have signed to a new label, Psychic Hotline, but remain indie, with their fourth full-length record.

Flood, the album and the tour, demonstrates the maturation that comes with 10+ years as a band. While the LP took five years to write, it was recorded in two weeks in a rural Texan studio alongside longtime collaborators Caleb Wright (Briston Maroney, The Greeting Committee, Samia) and Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Suki Waterhouse, Waxahatchee). Coming off their experimental record LP3, the band decided to be more intentional with the music. They had multiple iterations of the production for each song and focused on methodical lyricism. As a whole, the project stays true to the introspective and existential sentiments the band has always written about, but sonically, it feels more laid back. 

Opening act Mei Semones reflected this shift in mentality. Semones is a J-pop guitar virtuoso. She was accompanied by two string players and played technical bossa-nova and jazz riffs for her entire set. 

The headliner’s set was backlit by a series of light towers that cast rays into the crowd. Sudden flashes of light created silhouettes as the band took the stage. Hippo Campus opened their set with one of the few true love songs in their discography, “Mad Man.” The song reflects the band’s growth over the years as now all members are in long-term relationships, and frontman Jake Luppen recently got engaged to fellow musician, Raffaella. 

The set was largely the band’s hits and fan favorites with the new record seamlessly woven in. “South” brought an infectious energy to the crowd as the band lit up the room with bright white lights. Luppen gave a rare glimpse to his full chest voice, belting out the final chorus, before returning to his usual falsetto head voice. 

“Brand New” feels almost like a synopsis of the entire record. The band is approaching 30 and facing the existential crisis that comes with departing from your 20s. On this tour, they took a different approach to the 'rock-star' lifestyle by staying sober on the road. “Feeling brand new; Only took me half my life” rings out towards the end of the song, encapsulating the feeling that is intended by Flood. 

Towards the end of the set, the band put their foot on the gas, playing hit songs “Suicide Saturday,” “Baseball,” and “Buttercup” all back to back. The band made sure to give the die-hard fans a treat as they then played a few older, lesser-known songs before closing out the night with an encore.

Hums of “The Way It Goes” could be heard as fans filed out of the second night of Hippo Campus’ Flood Tour in Atlanta. The show was a celebration of the band's evolution over the past decade. It’s clear that Hippo Campus has no intention of slowing down. Instead, they remain committed to their roots, giving back to the fans who have been with them on this journey.