Camp Cope’s Georgia Maq has dropped a pop record, Pleaser

Georgia Mcdonald has spent the past few years establishing herself as one of the most important voices in Australian music. Alongside her band Camp Cope, McDonald has helped usher in a vital era of change and reflection amongst the Australian music community. Now, she’s released a pop record.

Pleaser marks McDonald’s debut solo record, released under the moniker Georgia Maq. If you were looking for a dosage of indie-punk musings, keep looking, this is a fully-fledged pop album.

McDonald produced tracks ‘Away From Love’ and ‘Like A Shadow’ with Melbourne producer and songwriter Darcy Baylis — who has previously worked with emo-alumni turned Gothboi clique founder Wicca Phase Springs Eternal.

The rest of the songs on the record were produced by Run For Cover Records labelmate Katie Dey, who released her stunning third record solipsisters earlier this year.

“I took more time to record the songs and play around with them, and I liked that because I could change things and experiment more,” McDonald says, continuing “I think the pressure of working with other people drove me to finish the songs, which I hated but also loved because it’s nice to be challenged.”

Pleaser is bold and ambitious. It’s a real treat getting to experience McDonald’s unrelenting emotionally intelligent lyrics recontextualised in a pop landscape.