CAMP COPE // Call Out Music Scene Industry In Stunning New Song ‘The Opener’

After Melbourne-band Camp Cope released their stunning debut album last year, the trio have returned with the first taste of their upcoming second album, the lyrically-biting The Opener.

MORE: Vote for this weeks top 20 Hysteria Radio songs here.

The Opener sees singer/guitarist Georgia Maq rightfully admonish toxic masculinity and sexism present within the music industry. As detailed in a tweet from drummer Sarah Thompson, the band was advised by ‘a bloke’ not to release the song. Thankfully they ignored him, and it’s exquisite.

Maq details a lot of the awful things men have said to her, from the outright sexist – “You worked so hard, but we were just so lucky to ride those coattails into infinity/ And all my success has nothing to do with me” – to mansplaining – “It’s another man telling us we can’t fill up the room/It’s another man telling us to book a smaller venue” – and even those men whose attempts at diversity aren’t well-intentioned –  “”Yeah, just get a female opener/that’ll fill the quota””. Listen below:

Despite this appalling treatment, the band has shown these idiots up by gaining critical-acclaim and reaching the top 40 in the ARIA Albums Chart. As Maq sings, “See how far we’ve come not listening to you”.

It’s an especially important song now, with men in the entertainment industry currently being exposed as manipulative sexual abusers. It also shows that all men have a long way to go in treating women respectfully. We should all be ashamed, and we must learn to do much better.

The Opener is available through Poison City Records. In the meantime, the band is set to play their final show for 2017 on 3^rd December at Melbourne’s Forum Theatre alongside Cash Savage And The Last Drinks and RVG. Purchase tickets here.