Hippo Campus

In the months leading up to the pandemic, the typically carefree dudes in Twin Cities-based indie-rock outfit Hippo Campus hit their breaking point. They’d been touring for more than six years straight, with no more than two-month breaks between shows at any given time. “We were straight-up burnt out,” guitarist Nathan Stocker admits, noting how in addition to the stress of the road, the band was also undergoing managerial changes and “navigating individual and personal relationships issues just trying to maintain just our health and get back to the essence of the band.” As it turned out, “someone was clearly watching out for us,” lead singer Jake Luppen says, and while the pandemic was hardly anyone’s idea of an ideal situation, both Luppen and Stocker believe it was something of a blessi...