Welcome to HeartSongs, our regularly scheduled (probably) look at songs and the people who write them. We spoke to Tyler from California’s Cloud about their recent single, ‘Two Hands Bound’.

“I wanted to create a song that addressed an immense amount of weight I felt at the time.  Specifically, the weight of those first few years into the real world and the work force was the most pressing struggle I had.  I was working in the restaurant industry at the time. 

My heart goes out to anyone who works in this environment— especially in the U.S.  Our relationship to work and to our jobs is increasingly complex and I wanted to focus on this relationship and it’s correlation with love and joy.  The song is very pointedly joyous and celebratory, an intention of solidarity.

The lyric I’m most proud of in the song is “Talking is also love”. At a point in time where the weight shifted on and off my chest and every successful attempt in relieving it came with a realization just like that.  When I listen to the song, all shades of green come to mind, like sun was poking through leaves.”

Two Hands Bound lyrics;

I fell so low

Some things you’ll never know

How odd to pray

Tried again the other day

C’est la, c’est vous

Got work in the afternoon

Born to die a thousand days

And, oh, to see what life remains

‘cause losing is a way of life

And building is another way of life

Says the man with his two hands bound

Says it all with his two hands

Man made me a wage slave

Time made me a gelatin

A day so nice

You can shake it off sometimes

And love is good

Mostly misunderstood

Like how we talk

Talking is also love

Born to doubt and see what it’s about

And, oh as I dance

I help myself to live

And if I don’t

To keep my self from loss

I lather a friend,

A vial of peppermint!

Says the man with his two hands bound

Says it all with his two hands

Man made me a wage-slave

Time made me a gelatin

Time made me a bitter one

An animal

An animal is what I’ve become

Camp Cope will release their highly anticipated second album on March 2, via Run For Cover. First single ‘The Opener’ is an honest portrayal of the band’s experience as women in music with recently-released title track ‘How To Socialise & Make Friends’ serving as an upbeat anthem of independence, about resilience and being yourself in the face of life's challenges. Highlighting singer/guitarist Georgia Maq's incisive lyricism, the song tells a perfectly observant yet sarcastically blistering tale of expectations abed crunching guitars, clashing drums, and melodic bass hooks. The album was recorded over two days at Holes and Corners in South Melbourne with Sam Johnson in October 2017.

The forthcoming album celebrates the joys of being an independent unit and knowing who you are without any influence from external factors. ‘How To Socialise & Make Friends’ anchors on the cycles of life, loss, and growth through resilience, and those moments of finding and being yourself. ‘Anna’ and ‘Sagan-Indiana’ speak to the love you feel towards friends - the women who shape you and work together to find strength in numbers. ‘The Face of God’ is a raw account of sexual assault and the feelings of isolation that follow, and album closer ‘I've Got You’ showcases vocalist and guitarist Georgia Maq solo, singing of her late father's battle with cancer and their close friendship that prevails, even in death. Throughout the nine songs that comprise How To Socialise & Make Friends, it becomes clear that, if their 2016 self-titled debut was the spark, this is Camp Cope on full-fledged fire, stronger and more focused than ever.

Camp Cope have become a force in music since forming in 2015. Their Australian Music Prize-shortlisted self-titled debut saw critical acclaim from all corners. They sold out two shows at Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE 2017, headlined Melbourne's Weekender Fest 2017, and toured the US for the first time in summer 2017, playing through 13 states with Worriers.