before bambi
By Livie Augustine
Putting music out into the world isn’t a one-step journey; there are a multitude of hurdles to get over. However, listeners don’t usually have an idea of what that process is like, so appreciating the final product is all they are able to do. Yet, Hippo Campus—a five-piece indie band reigning from Minnesota—wanted to expand the appreciation of their art. Released on June 14th and July 10 respectively, Demos I and II are two full-length albums of songs that haven’t hit their peak, but have been put out onto streaming platforms for fans to listen to. Through these albums, listeners get a little peek at the process.
Released June 14th by Grand Jury Music
Within less than a year of the band’s sophomore album—Bambi—being released, the demos of most of the tracks were compiled into Demos I. Rough, previous versions of beloved songs off of Bambi were revealed to listeners on June 14th. Mixed reactions ensued, but the purpose of the release was met. Fans accessed an extra step of the road to Bambi, and it affected many opinions on the official release.
Demos I wasn’t perfect—that wasn’t the band’s goal. There were a couple poor mixing mistakes, such as some unnecessary auto-tuning, and some lyrics just didn’t do the trick. The differences between the demos and the final products individually range from subtle to drastic. “Anxious”—the second track off of both albums—transformed into what seems to be a completely new song, the demo only exhibiting a skeleton of the final. A fan favorite, “Doubt”, is vaguely fraternal to it’s released demo—there are bits and chunks that were kept, and bits and chunks that were tossed. It’s safe to say, however, that there is an obvious reason the final products were Hippo Campus’ proudest. In contrast, some demos weren’t necessarily metamorphosed. The title track, “Bambi”, was quite similar to its former. It seems as though the band sandpapered the song and made it smoother, which still exemplifies the process. Demos I was a release with a beautiful purpose, and prepped the band to release the second of the series.
Released July 10th by Grand Jury Music
Demos II, unlike Demos I, is a bundle of lone releases, including previously performed songs and new pieces. Just as they did with warm glow—an ep containing three songs that were kicked from the band’s debut album—Demos II gave fans some of the art they’ve been begging for. “No Poms”, the second track, was highly anticipated along with “Chapstick” and “Joy”. All three were beloved pieces from the live setlist at one point or another, and the band even recognized the pleading fans in their announcement tweet. In addition, never-before-heard demos were released, causing an uproaring response from their fans. All across fans’ respective social media accounts were praises of the originals, which include “Kentucky”, “Elephant Boys”, and several others. Demos II was justifiably released and rightfully applauded, and leaves a lingering hope for future official recordings.
One special song we personally have to address is “Ease Up Kid”. Our magazine is a web of team members connected through Hippo Campus, and the Demos II release triggered a dream. The Ease Up team is excited to spread appreciation for talent, much like the talent that radiates from Demos I and II. We hope you find something special.