Camp Cope – Waking Up Georgia Maq: 13th Floor Interview

Camp Cope is headed to New Zealand for two shows in Wellington and Auckland next week. We woke Georgia Maq out of a deep sleep to find out what we’re in store for.

Yes, you’ll hear a lot of yawning during this interview (and some meowing from Georgia’s cat, Spatula) as Georgia has just woken up. But don’t worry, once she yawns a few times she’s got plenty to say.

Click here to listen to the interview with Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq:

Or, read a transcription of the interview here:

MD: You’re coming to town at The Tuning Fork in a couple of weeks. I think you’ve been away from the stage for a little bit. What do you what do you got planned for us?

Georgia Maq: Um, the shows are really good. So we have a fourth member, Jennifer Aslett. And she’s amazing. Because with the last (yawns) with the last album, I put too much stuff on it for me to be able to do it all. So we’ve got Jenny to help. But I’m very excited. We haven’t been to New Zealand in a very long time.

MD: So have you done other shows with Jenny before? Like, I know you toured the States earlier last year?

Georgia Maq: Yeah, so Jenny did our Australian tour and our American tour with us. She’s the best!

MD: Great, where did you find her?

Georgia Maq: Um, she’s just one of Thommo’s (drummer Sarah Thompson’s) friends.

MD: So when you’re getting back into the saddle of live shows, after taking a little time off, what do you guys have to do to get yourself prepared?

Georgia Maq: Practice. That’s kind of it. I’m pretty good at performing. It’s like riding a bike. You know? I just have to remember the words to the songs cuz sometimes I forget.

MD: Okay, well. Have you thought about a teleprompter?

Georgia Maq: Um, I should get one. Honestly, I’ve got the worst memory.

MD: Well, at least you’re not Bob Dylan. Can you imagine what it must be like for him to have to memorize all those freakin’ lyrics?

Georgia Maq: And I thank God, I’m not Bob Dylan. I think that all the time.

MD: Now, from what I understand, I haven’t seen you guys perform before, but from my reading, I believe you guys try to establish a sense of community when you’re performing. So tell me, between you and the rest of the band, do you talk about kind of how you do that and what you want to achieve when you’re performing?

Georgia Maq: Well, we’ve always wanted to make people feel like safe at our shows. I like to feel like (yawning) Camp Cope is for people who, like myself, who like go to shows alone, who feel a bit like they don’t really fit in the world. And so I endeavor to make them feel included, and safe, and like this is like a space for them. I don’t know how I do it.

MD: It’s interesting because when rock’n’roll started out, back way back when, it was basically made by outsiders and loners and people who didn’t fit in and then you know, when the kind of the classic rock thing happened in the 70s and 60s, those became the norm so now it’s kind of changing around. Do you think about that at al l do you do you look at yourself…do you identify with the people who kind of gone before you making music like this?

Georgia Maq: I’ve always felt a bit like I can’t connect to anyone else on Earth…ever. So not really, I guess

MD: So how do you connect with Kelly and Thommo?

Georgia Maq: I don’t know…just through what we do, through playing music together. I don’t know, I don’t really identify with any of the like, rock icons.

MD: Okay. Did you have any favorites from the past when you were growing up?

Georgia Maq: Pink.

MD: Pink. Okay, that’s cool. And have you met Pink?

Georgia Maq: No, never.

MD: Okay, well that’s something to aspire to.

Georgia Maq: I know someone who worked with her before though, so that’s pretty cool.

MD: Oh, that’s close, you’re getting there.

Georgia Maq: (Yawns) I’ve got like, three degrees of separation

 

MD: Sounds like one degree of separation, so there you go, you’re getting closer. So do you interact with the audience, with fans, after or before the show? Do they want to kind of connect with you?

Georgia Maq: Not really, I tend to, like hide away. You know, like, sometimes, like, once, like, after a show, I literally just went to like a pancake house and just ate pancakes by myself.

MD: That sounds very American. As you can probably tell, I have an American accent. And I spent a lot of time at Uncle John’s Pancake House.

Georgia Maq: I spend a lot of time alone. I mean, I like meeting people. But sometimes I find it overwhelming. (Yawns)

MD: So it’s interesting that you’ve chosen to perform in front of large amounts of people with that kind of mindset.

Georgia Maq: I feel like once I’m like, on a stage, I feel like I’m like, a different person. Like, I’m like, confident and comfortable. I’m like, funny. And yeah, it’s, it’s really weird. It’s really strange that like, how performing can like change you.

MD: And is it a permanent change? Or just a temporary change when you’re on stage?

Georgia Maq: It is pretty temporary. Like it’s not like I’m like a fucking freak. I just prefer to be alone. You know, and not really talk to people. But like, I’m a nurse as well. So in my job I like talk to people (Yawning)

MD: I believe from what I read, you went back to doing quite a bit of nursing during the lockdown the pandemic, because couldn’t be a band anymore for a while. So coming on the other side of that, how is that affected what we’re going to hear and see when we catch you live? Does it have any effect? musically?

Georgia Maq: I think I’m just more confident now. I think, post pandemic, the way that I perform is quite different. I feel like I’m more confident, because I guess nursing has taught me to be more confident. It has  made me realize how cool it is to play in a band and to have a creative outlet.

MD: So are you thinking about doing the two coexisting more now? Or less or the same?

Georgia Maq: I think they can happily coexist. We tour a lot and I like to work.

MD: So it’s been almost a year since Running With The Hurricane came out, about 10 months or so, how does that perspective…do you look at the songs do you feel differently about them now than you did when you released it or when you recorded it? Or when you wrote it?

Georgia Maq: I actually still like the songs. There’s some things that like…because once you start performing a song some things like change about it, because it’s like, the more you perform a song, the more that it, changes, I guess to become (Yawns), what feels right. So some things have changed about some of the songs. Like Blue has become a lot more like country. And some songs tempos change and stuff. Because that’s just how you do…I don’t know, that’s just what’s what feels most natural when we perform it.

https://youtu.be/NSSXJ5o4ELY

MD: Yeah, so with that in mind…

Georgia Maq: I still like the songs.

MD: That’s good. So your sound…there has been some comments made about, you know, you kind of moved to a little more of a quieter or more country-ish sound with Running With The Hurricane… do you see that? Are you thinking ahead to the next record and how you’re going to evolve further?

Georgia Maq: Yeah, I think when it happens, it’ll happen. You know, because we only put the record out 10 months ago. It was like four years or something between records for us. I’m like, that feels like a good distance. And also I need to write some songs.

MD: That’s that’s always key. Well, if you were King Gizzard you’d have like 14 albums out by now in between that time. How did they do that?

Georgia Maq: I have no idea they’re amazing.

MD: Now I couldn’t help but notice you have the (painting of)
The Last Supper above your bed there.

Georgia Maq: Yeah, I like religious iconography. I just like it I don’t know why, I’ve just always liked. In like the Greek churches and stuff that I grew up going to, they’re on the inside, so very colorful. Lots of like, Jesus and burning bush and shit like up. I just like it I find it very comfortable. Like all around my house I’ve got pictures of Jesus. And I’m not like a fucking believer or anything. I just like it. I just think it’s neat.

MD: So when people come over to visit you, they asked you about that. Why do you have those religious pictures?

Georgia Maq: Sometimes. I’m just agnostic. Like, show me proof that God exists show me proof that God doesn’t exist. No one can. So I’m just sitting in the middle.

MD: So you must run into people who feel differently, especially with the nursing bit and people who are sometimes facing the great unknown. So how does that make you feel?

Georgia Maq: You just kind of go with it with what they believe. You know, disagree with it, or try to prove them wrong. Its not hurting anyone…whatever makes people feel most comfortable in such a vulnerable time. It’s like yeah, we just go with that.

MD: Well, I feel like I’m keeping you awake a little bit (laughs) there was a lot of yawning going on here.

Georgia Maq: I feel a bit sick like my throat’s a bit sore. I might do a RAT test.

MD: Yeah, you got to do that. I got a notice on my phone that I was in contact with somebody who may have been and I was like, freaking out but I’ve been lucky so far. I haven’t had anything yet.

Georgia Maq: Crazy, I’ve had it twice.

MD: Was it horrible or was it ehhh?

Georgia Maq: First time was horrible, second time was like fine. I wonder what a third time feels like maybe twice a day.

MD: Let’s hope you don’t find out.

Georgia Maq: Exactly.

MD: Well, thank you very much for waking up and talking to me. I appreciate it.

Georgia Maq: Thank you so much, Marty. I’m sorry.

MD:  I’m looking forward to seeing when you get here though. It’s only a couple of weeks away so that’s cool.

Georgia Maq: Yeah, I’m very I’m excited to come back. I’m excited to like go to the beach there and shit.

MD: Well, hopefully the weather will be more pleasant when that happens.

Georgia Maq: All right, summer Come on.

MD: No, it wasn’t last night.

Georgia Maq: Okay, so I’ve got to like pack for like all seasons.

MD: Yep, yep. Yep. I’m wearing long sleeves today for the first time so there you go.

Georgia Maq: Oh my god, global warming!

MD: Or in this case, cooling because we’re on the other side, you know?

Georgia Maq: Yeah, thank you so much Marty

MD: You have a great day. We’ll see ya. Bye.

 

Click here for tickets to NZ shows