Backseat Beat is a video series highlighting indie musicians and the city by the Bay. Armed with Flip cameras, we interview bands in the back seat of our ’83 Volvo as we spirit them away to unexpected, forgotten corners of San Francisco, where they plug in outdoors to play a few tunes. Each band’s performance transforms these urban spots from their anonymous day to day existence into surreal, magical backdrops.

In episode 2 of Backseat Beat, we get up close and personal with Camp Out. Eschewing extra band members to keep things simple, Maddy Hanks and Jackie Law take multitasking to another level, and watching them play is just as much fun as listening to their music. Hanks takes care of vocals, guitar and a loop station, while Law holds it down on drums (she had a drum machine for today’s shoot), keys, and backing vocals. Notice that Law’s keyboard stand is actually a snowboard, a tool she uses for all of their gigs.



During our shoot on a somewhat busy stretch lined with old warehouses in the Dogpatch neighborhood, Camp Out had an audience of nosy onlookers passing by in cars, and on skateboards. Their infectious, 80’s inflected electro-pop perfectly matched the setting, the beats bouncing off the bricks and broken windows.

Camp Out’s new album Closer is out now on Swordfish Records.

Credits
Backseat Beat
backseatbeat.net
Created by Brad Robertson
Produced by Brad Robertson & Dana Goldberg
Hosted by Jasmine Blocker