The Bite Magazine - Spring 2019 - Issue 24

Dayle Best introduces us to Australian reggae fusion band Ocean Alley who has been making waves in the UK and all over Europe as well as in their homeland. bite music I caught up with guitarist Mitch Galbraith from the band to discuss how they came together and the success of their music around the world. With two albums under their belt, 2016’s Lost Tropics  and 2018’s critically acclaimed Chiaroscuro , Ocean Alley are really going places. Bite Magazine: Could you tell us the origins of the band and how it all came together? Mitch Galbraith: We were all mates before we formed the band. We met surfing and hanging out where we grew up in Sydney, and just went from there. We found a real passion for writing our own music together and it’s hasn’t stopped for six years.  Bite Magazine: You've been termed as a rock band? Does this hold true to the Ocean Alley sound? Mitch Galbraith: Of course. We are a rock band. Maybe it’s not the most specific description of our sound but I think we have a quintessentially rock band practice. We play our live shows loud and natural, and our recordings are not heavily over dubbed. It’s just us being raw. With their new single 'Happy Sad' a staple of their live shows and a truly memorable moment for all those in attendance, the single is a true epic song which showcases the depth of the band’s songwriting, allowing them to explore their adept nature to creating psychedelic bliss through a juxtaposed soundscape. Bite Magazine: Your style of music has also been described as ‘Cruisey Psych’. What does that description imply to the members of the band? Mitch Galbraith: It doesn’t directly apply. We rage. Armed with their acclaimed second album Chiaroscuro, which featured the singles 'Confidence' and 'The Comedown' the album debuted at #15 in the ARIA charts, the official record of the highest selling singles and albums in Australian music. Following their last US tour in November supporting longtime friend Tash Sultana, the band will return to the UK in August for a run of headline shows and festivals, their first tour of the regions since their inaugural visit in 2016. Bite Magazine: Hailing from Sydney's Northern Beaches, what influences, if any, does this bring to the band’s sound? And do you feel European audiences gravitate to the band any differently to what you have experienced thus far in coming from Australia? Mitch Galbraith: Like every artist, our art is always a product of our surroundings and experiences. We live together and enjoy our spare time surfing and fishing at the beaches of Sydney so that filters through us and oozes out into the music without thinking too much. Our European audience appreciates that sentiment, I think. We love touring Europe, [they’re] lovely people and a lovely part of the planet.  Due to a huge demand in the UK, venues in London, Brighton, Manchester and Leeds have all been upgraded to higher capacities. In the month of August these now familiar faces will land again on our shores, with tickets looking to sell out fast in advance. Bite Magazine: Looking to the coming months, what have we to look forward to from Ocean Alley? Mitch Galbraith: We have been lucky enough to be invited to join the Falls Festival tour which heads out to Byron Bay, Marion Bay, Lorne and Fremantle all over Australia so get on the bloody internet and check out those places. They are beautiful, scenic locations with a killer line-up to match. If you're ever in Australia, get to Falls Festival no matter where you are. It is a great time. We will also be writing new music and supporting Tash Sultana on an Australian tour in capital cities early this year. We’re in London on the 27th August at Electric Ballroom and following a number of dates in Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester, not forgetting the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall and the Reading Festival. So, we’re really looking forward to playing for you all. https://oceanalley.com.au Stained Glass