Stoop Kid

Stoop Kid is Diest-based musician Jens Rubens’ jangly indie-rock project. After playing guitar in numerous bands for years he felt the urge to write and share his own story. Some cheap home-recording gear, many hours of youtube tutorials and liters of cold sweat later, Stoop Kid released a first EP in 2019. This one was quickly followed by a second EP early 2020. Misery loves company, so by that time Jens summoned four kindred spirits to play the songs live.          

Then of course the pandemic hit and all shows came to a crashing halt. The free time on his hands allowed Jens to dig a little deeper, both musically and lyrically. The result: Camp Careful, a 10-track album that covers themes of depression, social anxiety and generally feeling out of place, released early 2021. Heavy topics that stand in heavy contrast with the jangly guitar riffs the album’s laced with.

A couple of lockdowns and awkward masked/seated shows later, Stoop Kid became a resident in Maastricht’s Muziekgieterij early 2022. This allowed Jens to work in a professional studio environment for the first time. Ten home-demos were caringly re-recorded and mixed with the help of Rob Driessen. Loops became live drums, lo-fi became a little higher-fi and Mount Cope, Stoop Kid’s second full album, became a fact. The album’s expected in 2023 and found a home at V2 Records for its release.

Mount Cope deals with life after depression and the ever-present fear of relapsing, as well as with simply turning 30 and the existential shitshow that comes with it. Musically this is Stoop Kid’s most diverse album to date, with influences ranging from 60’s guitar pop, 80’s jangle and 90’s slacker to the 00’s/10’s punk rock, emo and indie Jens grew up with.