The band began their surprising climb to the national spotlight in 2015, fresh out of the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists in Minnesota. Following a series of performances at SXSW -- Hippo Campus’ first gigs outside of their home state -- the band generated an unexpected buzz that would land them a slot on late night TV stalwart CONAN. Over the next several months, while most of their peers were in college, Hippo Campus received their education through tours that crisscrossed the globe, honing their craft on a pair of successful EPs which would go on to sell 25k copies, find a home on alternative radio airwaves and be streamed in excess of 15M times online.

Today NPR All Songs Considered shared the latest from the band,“Boyish”. With its joyous sound, the new song is a reminder of what helped catapult Hippo Campus onto this unlikely journey in the first place: an uncanny knack for melody, and a relentless, youthful energy. But, with its sober lyrical meditation on divorce and the disorientation felt by the children left in its wake, “Boyish” is a promise that the band’s journey has encouraged them to plumb new songwriting depths.

The band had this to say about the song: "There’s a moment in growing up when it becomes clear that the road you walk is your own to cultivate. The melody was one of the oldest we had. The words deal with ghosts of our past selves. A glance in the rear view at children dealing with the fallout of divorce. The production however looks forward to new horizons. New paths to travel and landmarks to establish."

Speaking of paths to travel, since that fateful run of SXSW shows in 2015, the band has maintained a tireless touring schedule, opening for acts such as Modest Mouse, Walk the Moon and Real Estate and playing several festival including Lollapalooza, Reading & Leeds and more. Hippo is taking their captivating live show back on the road this month with Sylvan Esso and Saint Motel throughout October, the full list of dates is below:

10/15: Crossroads, KC @ Fed Up Fest +

10/16: Indianapolis, IN @ The Deluxe at Old National Centre*

10/17: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues*

10/19: Boston, MA @ Royale*

10/20: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*

10/21: New York, NY @ Webster Hall*

10/22: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer*

10/24: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's*

10/25: Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom*

10/27: Charlotte, NC @ The Underground*

10/28: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade*

+ = w/ Sylvan Esso

* = w/ Saint Motel

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Photo Credit: Alice Baxley