Camping in Alaska Gives Us Something to Chew On With "Lost and Found"

It’s been more than six years since beloved emo band, Camping In Alaska, released their last major project, “WELCOME HOME SON.” In the period between then and now, they’ve been relatively quiet, with only a single, “ICARUS,” dropping in 2019. But now the Huntsville, Alabama-based group is back with a brand new acoustic EP: “Lost and Found.” Here are some thoughts on this project, followed by an interview with the band. 

With three tracks that collectively clock in at just shy of nine minutes, this project is short but sweet. Starting off with the mournful “Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 5,” it’s clear that vocalist and guitarist, Austin Davis, hasn’t lost his chops. The song is a somber recollection of loss and self-hatred that punches you right in the gut. The chorus is immediately catchy and sticks with you long after you hear it, and the line “now I’m chasing the dragon” deserves props as a clever triple entendre. 

“Mr. Fantastic” follows with some eerie, sour chords that are a little anxiety-provoking (in a good way). This one continues the themes of the last track and deals with some very dark material. Both this and the final track, “Hertzfeldt,” are incredibly raw and feel like the music equivalent of being completely drained after some huge emotional event. However, “Hertzfeldt” ends the EP on a note of muted optimism. 

As it turns out, “Lost and Found,” is just an appetizer for a full-length project of new material that’s set to drop sometime next year. I sat down with Camping In Alaska to talk about this new EP, what they’ve been up to during their hiatus, and what’s coming up next for them.

For the past few years, each member of the band has been, like the rest of us, trying to get by in their own respective lives. They’ve been sorting out their personal and financial lives, getting married, and all that other fun adult stuff.

“At some point, you gotta make sure you have a career. You’re starting your family, getting your shit together. You know, I think every musician will tell you that you have to take a little bit of a break to get your life going,” says guitarist, Eli Long. 

The Camping In Alaska crew—which also includes bassist and backup vocalist, Dani Fandre; and drummer, Jacob Stewart—never really considered themselves to be broken up. They think it’s more accurate to say they were on vacation. They’ve also pursued other projects during this time. Long and Stewart played in a black metal band, while Fandre and Davis have been playing in a bedroom pop group. Although they like having outlets in other genres, Camping In Alaska is still their main project. 

It’s been almost a decade since the release of the band’s universally praised first album, “please be nice,” but Camping In Alaska hasn’t forgotten about its fans. They’re very grateful for how their first record blew up on YouTube. They admit to being surprised that it did so well and weren’t expecting to become full-time musicians. Their journey as a band began purely from their love of playing and desire to share their music with others. 

“And I guess now we’re seeing a whole new generation of kids getting into our music, which is awesome that we can connect with people like that,” says Davis.

The band is now in a position where they’re getting offers and can make money on shows as opposed to losing it. And that money, along with everything they’ve made off of merch and album sales, is going towards recording their long-awaited new LP. 

Camping In Alaska has been building this album since 2016, but it’s not quite ready yet. They explained that “Lost and Found” is a way to tie fans over until then. “It’s our way of saying sorry. You guys have been starving for some new material from us,” Long confesses. “Here’s some stuff that we’ve got to chew on a little bit.”  

These songs were recorded from 2017 to 2018, which was a dark time for every member of the band. They believe it captures the feeling of that era and is a fitting lead-up to the full record. They’re also very keen on assuring fans that they haven’t been slacking between then and now. Even though their schedules are tight, they’ve been practicing like crazy. 

According to Davis, they’re going to record the new album with a very noteworthy producer. They wouldn’t say who, but they agree that this project is the biggest thing they’ve ever done.

Long believes this might be the big break for the band that’ll elevate it from a part-time deal to a full-time career, which has been the group’s dream for a long time.

I mentioned that it seemed like they’re approaching their music now with a totally renewed energy and a different mentality than before. Fandre responded with an enthusiastic “absolutely,” which the rest of the bad echoed.  

The band can’t emphasize enough that they’re throwing their all into this new project. They’re fully confident that this will be a huge step up for them in every way. 

”I think in the past we were okay with just throwing it together. And now we’re not okay with just throwing it together,” says Stewart. 

The band is going to be playing the Masquerade in Atlanta this December with Oolong, Michael Sera Palin, and Jake and the Elephant (and possibly Short Fiction). They’re also playing a shot in Huntsville with Lady Dan and The Glimpse around the same time. 

Camping In Alaska is planning a tour for the fall of 2023, and it’s optimistic that the album will drop by then. The band is even laying the groundwork for another project after this one. It’ll be tough to schedule everything around the rest of their lives, but they’re hopeful about what the future holds.

Be sure to check out Camping in Alaska Here!

https://campinginalaska.bandcamp.com