Camp Cope Announce That They're Breaking Up

Beloved Melbourne indie-rock/emo trio Camp Cope have announced that they're breaking up. After seven years playing music, vocalist Georgia Maq, bassist Kelly-Dawn Hellmrich, and drummer Sarah "Thomo" Thompson are playing their final-ever show as part of the Brunswick Music Festival next month.

Announcing the shock news on Instagram, the How To Socialise & Make Friends band posted a photo with the big news: "RIP Camp Cope 2016-2023". The post is captioned with a gig announcement, reading "this is a special one – our LAST EVER Naarm/Melbourne show at Brunswick Music Festival with the incredible Barkaa can’t think of a more fitting farewell". The final Camp Cope show takes place on Saturday, 11 March at the Estonian House.

Aussie journalist and editor Jackson Langford reacted to the news on Twitter, citing their "bravery and fearless and unconditional allyship" as reasons the band have been important to listeners beyond music.

The band have since responded to the news on their personal Twitter accounts. View more reactions below.

I love Camp Cope and all we’ve done, we’ve done together. Thank you.

— gold soundz (@georgiamaq_) February 8, 2023

obv more to come, but for now, 4eva thanks to all the ppl who were there through the thick & thin. the music industry is a bin fire but that can be dealt with when you have the legends you all are keeping you sane. fire your manager, burn the joint down, morals over $. love x ❤️

— Sarah Thompson (@slthomthom) February 8, 2023

people asking if we're breaking up because i'm a mum now are really exposing themselves tbh

— Kelso Wrestling Fan (@sideshowkelso) February 8, 2023

camp cope taught the aus music industry a lot of lessons they didn’t have to teach. it’s high time the aus music industry starts to take notes.

— jackson langford (@jacksonlangford) February 8, 2023

Camp Cope just unceremoniously announced they’re breaking up??? Please respect my privacy during this dark time pic.twitter.com/LpGGNnVY1Y

— Emily Higginbotham (@EmilyHigg) February 8, 2023

Camp Cope is one of the greatest Australian bands ever and never forget it.

— Spencer Scott (@ImSpencer77) February 8, 2023

you come to me on the day of Phoebe Bridgers playing in Melbourne and tell me Camp Cope is breaking up?? pic.twitter.com/uORbdp1aon

— georgia (@georgjar) February 8, 2023

camp cope u changed me for the better long before we started working together. you inspired me to not be afraid in this industry to stand for something bigger, and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment. ily.

— girl. (@CaseyPrincess) February 8, 2023

Camp Cope have been nominated for the 2023 Australian Music Prize. Upon reviewing the latest Camp Cope album, Running With The Hurricane, AMP judge Britt Aylen (writer, broadcaster) said: “Running With the Hurricane is Camp Cope's most complex and accomplished record yet. It's somehow both raw and polished, with layered vocals and a fuller sound than their previous offerings. Lyrically, still as powerful as ever.”

In 2018, the band addressed the "boys club" that pervades the Australian rock music scene. 

Speaking with The Feed’s Marc Fennell, Maq commented on how the industry has “always been a boys club”.

The band stressed that their challenge of that wasn’t something they were doing for attention, with Thompson, drummer and manager, saying “Do you think we’re having a nice time right now?”.

“Like this isn’t fun. We’re trying to say something. Everyone in the music industry is being silent.”

As they keep hitting milestone after milestone, Helmrich spoke about what success means to the band.

“The most successful I ever feel is when a young girl will come up and talk to us about what we do and how she wants to make music,” she says.

“Having someone say that we’ve inspired them to like keep ploughing through everything and just kind of like do their thing and keep doing it – that’s when I feel most successful.

“It’s not just one particular show in a great space, it’s like the whole thing. Like we’ve done it all by ourselves and we’ve done it together.”

RIP Camp Cope.