Camp Crush

Camp Crush is led by the husband and wife duo of Jennifer Deale (synthesizers, keys, vocals) and Chris Spicer (drums, vocals). Drawing on a range of classic influences that include the Cure and Blondie as well as contemporary sounds from Rubblebucket and Tennis, the group issues the EP She's Got It on 18 May.

"We and this EP are both all about collaboration," the group said recently, "about letting our collective influences guide us toward creating an authentically 'us' sound. As a duo, both in music and life, we work together to craft songs into creations we're really proud of, leaning on mutual trust and admiration for the other's contributions. Birthed from that is a collection of songs that call back to our influences while showcasing who we are as artists and the depth of our relationship. She's Got It is driving synthpop that tells a story: how we got to where we are and where we want to go."

The opening "November Skin" serves as an excellent example of this, with Deale's vocals recalling the classic era of synthesizer pop (think: Berlin), the track tears down assumptions about the superficial. "The Last Hour" is anchored by lovely, plaintive keyboard figures and what may be Deale's most convincing performance among the pieces here. Then again, the cinematic flourishes of "Sad Eyes" or the haunting passages of the closing "Hometown Glory" are equally impressive. Deale and Spicer ask listeners to pause, listen and reflect; this isn't music for listeners in a race to consume but, instead, is there for those who choose to get beneath the surface and fully absorb the material. - PopMatters

It feels especially powerful this International Women’s Day to drive home the point that objectification of women and any other forms of sexism and misogyny will not be tolerated. How many times must that message be drilled into every skull, until it sticks? Must we really wait for an older generation to die off, thereby allowing their intolerant attitudes and inappropriate behaviors to continue existing in ever-small populations?

No; that’s no way to handle prejudice. Camp Crush’s “November Skin” is an impassioned feminist anthem that deconstructs superficial “assumptions” about women, demanding that everyone look deeper than whatever’s at face-value when considering their fellow human being.

With a face like magic
Ensnare me, I’m your slave
All you do is bid me stay
With a heart like a river
I could float away on
All through your kingdom
Watch: “November Skin” – Camp Crush


Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the music video for “November Skin,” off Camp Crush’s upcoming debut EP She’s Got It (independently out 5/18/2018). The Portland duo of Jennifer Deale and Chris Spicer don a vibrant synth-fueled pop sound, with bright licks and sweet melodies that pulse against heavy, forward-moving rhythms and fiery guitars.

Their new video helps explain the importance of the “November Skin” lyric (and EP title) she’s got it, which takes a familiar phrase and turns it into a fervent protest:

She's Got It EP - Camp Crush
She’s Got It EP – Camp Crush

She’s Got It
With a mind like an ocean
You’re a mystery
And I feel a calling for the sea
With skin like November
Every move is falling leaves
Can I be the ground beneath your feet
“The idea for ‘November Skin’ came when a man walked up to me after a show and told me why “I’ve got it.” He had an entire list of what makes me “have it” and why other women in the music industry “don’t have it.” It really struck me how, as women, we are standing in constant judgment of being enough or not,” Jennifer Deale shares. “‘November Skin’ is a feminist commentary on those judgments and expectations on women in today’s society. When we made the music video, we wanted to show different superficial types of the same woman, playing into how people like to pigeonhole women into an easy definition. Each character is represented by single word descriptions, like moody, spunky, cold, sexy; different exteriors, same interior. With an anthemic synth and rhythmic build, we wanted to wrap up our resistance to the societal pressures on women in a fun and danceable package.”

Camp Crush – November Skin
We couldn’t have said it better: “November Skin” is an engaging, joyous embrace of womanhood, a term with unlimited potential and meaning. Celebrate this Women’s Day with pride and passion alongside Camp Crush and their vibrant new video. She’s Got It EP is out everywhere 5/18/2018 - Atwood Magazine

Husband and wife duo Jennifer Deale and Chris Spicer are rocking the music world together, blending old school and indie rock into something wonderful. They've got an EP coming up next month, but for now we've got their next single off the project and the corresponding video. If you're into cute arcade games, then you'll certainly be excited about this too. - PopDust

Portland pop-rockers Camp Crush have crushed their contribution to the women's empowerment movement. Watch the video for their new anthem "November Skin" by playing the video above; you can't download the single yet, but it will be available on the band's upcoming EP, She's Got It, which hits playlists on May 18.

Camp Crush consists of the duo of Jen Deale (vocals, keyboards, and synth) and her husband Chris Spicer (who provides additional vocals and guitars). According to the single's press release, their sound is new wave pop, and that comes through in "November Skin." There have been a lot of empowerment songs released over the last few years, but none quite like this. It has an important message to convey, but does it with the look of an 80's music video. Don't let the many different hair colors distract you from the fact that Deale and Spicer have put together a song that combines entertainment value and actual meaning, and make sure you watch all the way to the end for some very interesting shots.

The release of "November Skin" follows Camp Crush's previous single "Hometown Glory", which was released in July 2017 as part of a productive year for the group. They also dropped the singers "Take Me Back" in June 2017 and "Hold Me Now" in March 2017. You can listen to and download all three songs by clicking their titles, and watch the three music videos that go with them on their YouTube channel. She's Got It will be Camp Crush's first non-single release.

To coincide with the EP's arrival, the group has planned an EP release show on Friday, May 18 at Portland's Alberta Street Pub. Tickets are just $8.00 and on sale now through the venue's website; the concert starts at 9 p.m. but please note that the venue requires all ticket holders to be 21 years old or older. If their live performances are as colorful as the "November Skin" music video, this is a band music fans will want to catch live.

Below are all of Camp Crush's currently announced 2018 tour dates, with tickets and more information available here:

April 21 - Portland, OR - The Firkin
May 5 - Enterprise, OR - Terminal Gravity Brewery
May 11 - Oregon City, OR - Feckin Brewery
May 18 - Portland, OR - Alberta Street Pub

For more on Camp Crush, visit the band's website. - AXS

Inspired by alt-rock legends such as the Cure and Blondie, Camp Crush combines new wave and straight-up pop, adding a modern indie-rock feel to the proceedings. The Portland husband/wife duo’s songs express emotion and thought on a myriad of personal experiences, but they never come across as preachy. Keyboardist/vocalist Jennifer Deale and drummer/vocalist Chris Spicer released three singles last year and just added the She’s Got It EP to their growing discography. You can definitely hear Camp Crush’s ’80s vibe on EP track “November Skin,” which we’re proud to share with you today. Stream and/or download it below. - Magnet Magazine

Camp Crush, the musical incarnation of husband-wife duo Jennifer Deale and Chris Spicer, pushes out powerful, soaring, synth-driven pop-rock songs with such conviction that you’d think they’d been doing this forever.

But as it turns out, when they burst onto Portland, Ore., music scene ten years ago, they were a pared-down folk-music act with a large local following. They could have continued on like that indefinitely, but a few years ago, something shifted. “I started getting really into synth and pulling in vintage pads, old patches, and new iPad patches,” Jennifer recalls.

Shortly thereafter, the decision was made to let go of their old project and create Camp Crush.

And while every musician remakes herself now and then, staying relevant and migrating an established fan base to a new sound — while raising two young children — wasn’t an easy feat. Jennifer felt out of balance and overwhelmed as she struggled to juggle a full-time job at a high-tech company with family life, music, and learning the ropes of parenthood.

The decision to let go of the day job wasn’t an easy one, but for Jennifer, it was absolutely essential to her entire being. In putting motherhood and music first, everything shifted, and today she parents two kids (a son and a daughter) and creates music with refreshing zeal.

In March, Camp Crush premiered “November Skin,” the first track off their brilliant EP She’s Got It (out May 18) which gives me serious nostalgia for my college goth-club nights.

Recently, Jennifer sat down to chat with Rockmommy on rebranding her sound, being a mom and living your truth.



campcrush-1030x687
Camp Crush

Rockmommy: So let’s talk about the evolution to Camp Crush. How did this come about?

Jennifer Deale: So Camp Crush is my husband and I and we’ve been playing music together for 10 years and we obviously fell in love and started out playing music, and have done it in so many iterations — we had a folk band for a while, a blues band for a while — but Camp Crush is the band that we’re most connected to, that’s what’s most authentic to us. Chris has been a drummer since he was five, I’ve played piano since I was five. I started getting really into synth and pulling in vintage pads, old patches, and new iPad patches, and we’re trying to play these… and it was getting to a point where we’re like, ‘we’re folk but we’re 80s synth too.’

Rockmommy: Was the rebranding hard?

Jennifer Deale: So we took a month off and rebranded everything. It was really hard because we do most of our stuff DIY so it was all about working crazy long on weeknights and doing Photoshop and making a music video. We lined up a brand new website, brand new merch, and did everything to get ready for our [debut]. You have to apply for Facebook to change your page, so once they flipped the switch, we went live with our new band.

Rockmommy: What was that like?

Jen Deale: It’s really cool because we spent so much time being intentional in what we wanted this band to look like and sound like. Taking that time off to focus on all of those pieces was great. As a musician I just want to think about the music, but from a fan’s perspective … I want the whole package. We put out a single called “Take me Back.” Then we did a follow-up single called “Hometown Glory.”

Rockmommy: So How do you do it all? And you’re a mom to grade-school-age kids, right?

Jennifer Deale: We cancelled our Netflix a long time ago. Before I went full in the music thing, I had a big corporate job in Amazon. And I got to the point where I was like ‘I can’t pursue music to the level I want to pursue it and do this job.’ Being a mom is my priority — it’s a huge part of my day. So when I left my day job I was like, ‘I’m leaving a lot of money behind.’ But it’s a dream to get to do music. It’s a lot of late nights and we read Harry Potter and they go to bed at 8, and Chris is like ‘alright, what do we have to do?’ Chris will look at the calendar and go, ‘we have a free day on this day — we’re going to go on a day trip.’ We know there are big corporate jobs we could go back to, but this feeds us.


Rockmommy: I didn’t realize you’d have to give up so much to do this.

Jennifer Deale: Yes, absolutely. But I chose to be a mom. What am I trying to teach my kids in life? To take the most secure path? Or to follow your dream? It has been a lot less secure and a more of a scrappy lifestyle, but I see my kids a lot more.

Rockmommy: What inspired the subject matter in your music, your latest songs?

Jennifer Deale: As a woman in the music industry, I’ll play a show and with three or four bands on the bill and I’ll be the only female onstage the whole night. And ‘November Skin’ was inspired by an experience after a show, when a man pulled me aside and said, ‘I really think you’ve got it!’ And then he went on to tell me things I should improve on to get further into the music industry. So I wanted to talk about this unrealistic expectation of people for women to be something specific.

Rockmommy: How do your kids respond? Are they into music?

Jennifer Deale: I think the kids are understanding all of these things … but they don’t necessarily think it’s super cool what I do. My kids both go to an arts-focused elementary school. They both sing and do the school choir. But my daughter is a visual artist, and my son is a coder. And that’s cool. Music is definitely part of our everyday life — we have pianos everywhere — it’s part of the essence of our home. I know when I was their age, you couldn’t pull me off the piano! My kids aren’t like that about music but they are like that about art and technology.

Rockmommy: What advice do you have for other musician or artist parents?

Jennifer Deale: Obviously as a mom you want to spend as much time with your kids as you can. But motherhood is also about being someone your kid to look up to. It’s not just about the quantity of time, but about you giving an example of being a more authentic version of yourself.

Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the founder and editor of Rockmommy. - RockMommy

A new year means a new sound—inspired by soaring '80s rock—is here for Santiam. They'll debut the new single live at this year's MOGO Music Festival on March 3 at the White Eagle and you can win a pair of tickets below!
by Chris Young

As bands grow up, their sound evolves—moving away from the early days, and often simpler songwriting, as they find their true voice. Since summer of 2014, Portland four-piece Santiam have most often been associated with the folk and Americana circles of this city. But 2017 will see them actively push towards the rock and pop music that's been inspiring them—and it all starts with "Hold Me Now."

The new single "is indicative of the evolution of our sound," explains singer and keyboard player Jen Deale. "This year, both our studio releases and our live performances showcase danceable pop melodies with folk-inspired lyricism and indie rock-flavored drums. This new single is just the beginning of that."

"We are weaving together all the things that are important to us about music: strong lyrics, catchy hooks and connection with our audience," she continues. "Working with producer Raymond Richards (Edward Sharpe, Local Natives) was invaluable to the overall quality and vibe of the song. His influence on instrumentation and authenticity in both performance and utilization of vintage synths helped capture our vision for a soaring '80s rock sound."

Recorded at B-Side Studios, the song truly is, as Deale says, "a pivot in direction for Santiam" with Deale's powerful vocals and synth flairs supported by Patrick Tumpane on guitar, Chris Spicer on drums and Nate Purscelley on bass.

And this single, which you can watch the video for below, is just the beginning—it is the first of four new tracks to come in 2017. "We're scheduled to be back in the studio to record the second installment in April!" Deale exclaims.

Until then, Santiam will celebrate the new sound and single release at the MOGO Music Festival with Corner and Karyn Ann with The Colin Trio at the White Eagle on Friday, March 3. Plus, you can hear more new Santiam sounds at the at LaurelThirst on Friday, April 14. But first things first: Leave a comment below for your chance to win a pair of tickets to the MOGO show! - Vortex Magazine

Santiam is a familiar name in the Northwest, for a number of reasons – you’ve seen the green beans, you’ve heard of the Native American tribe, and you may have visited the river. But the important question is: Have you heard this band? Santiam is a versatile, creative group of musicians who are establishing a place in Northwest history with their unique combination of influences. Having just released an EP, they continue to write new songs, and are dedicated to writing in and about their lives and experiences in the beautiful and ever-changing Northwest. This is their home, and they want to establish a name and a musical presence for themselves here among their friends and neighbors.

Santiam-at-Laurelthirst-01When people come together to make music, it is often because of interest or training in similar types of music. Maybe they meet in a guitar class, at an open mic, or at a concert. The common ground is a good launching point for efficient songwriting and easy communication between bandmates. But…what happens when each member of your band comes from a different musical experience? Santiam is the story of how beautiful that journey can be – when destiny brings varied backgrounds and common passion together! I had to find out how these three very different musicians were able to find each other and know that they would fit well together – listen to the interview for the story. It’s a good example for all musicians about getting out into the community and exploring new genres of music.

Santiam-at-Laurelthirst-04Santiam has just released their new EP, appropriately a representation of many styles, with each song on the 3 track release highlighting a different member’s writing process. Jen Deale (keys/vocals) says that her influences come from jazz and pop – influences which are clearly heard in the lovely blended vocals and relatable lyrics on the EP. Jen’s voice really blew me away – she’s such a sweet and gentle person when describing her songwriting process, but get her singing, and she is totally in control of the entire room! She’s got depth and richness to her voice that allows her to pull off some soulful wailing as well as lighter pop vocals. Patrick Tumpane (guitar/vocals) says he grew up loving KISS, but tended to be attracted to indie rock as an adult musician. The songs also reflect that indie spirit, as well as a definite homage to Northwest folk. Drummer and vocalist Chris Spicer comes from a basis of “good classic rock”, which drive the dynamic nature of the music. The three say that the writing process is very supportive and open, certainly a collaborative style that pays respect to the roots and influences of all the band members..

Santiam-at-Laurelthirst-02Seeing Santiam live is an experience to remember – the band is friendly and lovable, gathering devoted fans and creating venue relationships that guarantee a repeat invite. The energy on stage radiates in waves through the dancing audience. Regardless of whether they are recreating a cover song, or presenting a fabulous original, there is an underlying feeling of camaraderie on stage that flows into the audience and just makes you want the happy vibe to last all night! The band is full of appreciation for the local music scene, and has so much praise for active local groups such as Cedar Teeth, Pretty Gritty, Dirty Revival, and the Jackelope Saints. They are making musical friends all over town with their good intent and energy.

Santiam-at-Laurelthirst-03You can catch Santiam in Seattle at The Sunset Tavern on Saturday, July 23. Other upcoming events are listed on their website and Facebook page. In the meantime, check out the new EP on bandcamp to get a sense of their versatility. Every song Santiam performs reflects each member’s common love of good, heartfelt music, while giving a nice variety of substance. After their visit to Seattle, I hear (shhh….) that they will be at the Laurelthirst on August 20! Firmly rooted in the Northwest – I hope you will love them as we do! - Portland Notes

Santiam write-up in the Willamette Week for their August 20th show at the Laurelthirst. http://www.wweek.com/calendar/cal/74042

[NW ROOTS] Portland trio Santiam plays indie-folk as pleasing to the senses as its namesake river. The young band’s latest effort, No Address, emphasizes its rich shared vocals and the pleasant trifecta of roots-leaning keys, guitar and drums. Fans of pretty Americana outfits—or early Counting Crows—will find plenty to like in in its measured twang, and should remind Portlanders that as fast as the city is growing, there are still large expanses of country right in our backyard. MARK STOCK. - Willamette Week

Camp Crush has had some additional players in their lineup over the years, including Nate Purscelly (Deepest Darkest) and Chandler Strutz (Just Lions), but the core duo of Jen Deale and Chris Spicer has always been what has propelled the group. Their charisma and loving glances (they’re married with kids) are showcased perfectly in this session just outside Oregon City Brewing Co. Deale’s booming voice carries the songs while Spicer provides the perfect, steady backbeat, and, despite the looming rain, they exude genuine happiness during every song. Looking beyond this great 2018 performance, Camp Crush is getting ready to release another EP (“Run,” Feb. 1, 2019) produced by Portland musician/producer Bryan Free and mixed by (former Portlander) Rian Lewis (Chromeo, D.R.A.M.), which means the music on our broadcast in 2019 just got a little sweeter. - OPB Music

Helmed by married duo Jennifer Deale and Chris Spicer, Camp Crush is a project with a polished sound that’s heavy on silky synths, skyscraper melodies, and a grand sense of drama. Tonight they’re celebrating the release of a new four-song EP, Run, which is an impressive throwback to lush ’80s pop. - Portland Mercury