ocean alley

photo by THE SAUCE | interview by RIANNE AKINDELE

Ocean Alley is a sextet of long-haired Aussies, channeling the learned lessons of life and the human experience of taking each day as it comes, and putting that into an all-encompassing sound filled with psychedelic funk, reggae, and rock. Having formed back in 2011 after meeting on the beach and attending some of the same schools on the Northern Beaches of Sydney Australia, members Baden Donegal (vocals/guitar), Angus Goodwin (lead guitar), Lach Galbraith (keys/vocals), Mitch Galbraith (rhythm guitar), Nic Blom (bass), and Tom O’Brien (drums) have since released two EPs and three albums together.

OCEAN

Their latest album,

ALLEY Lonely Diamond, is filled with songs that both ease the mind and take you on an introspective journey. There is

an organic quality that comes with the Ocean Alley sound, perhaps due to their writing process of coming together in their living rooms as friends to create— which also means never forcing anything and being honest about what does work, musically.

How are you doing? Things have been pretty crazy here in America; how has it been over in Australia?

OA: Apart from missing live shows, we are doing well. It’s crazy times down here, too, but we’ve been spending the time relaxing and doing as much surfing and fishing as we can. There’s also plenty of time to play and write music at home, so that’s been refreshing.

You guys have been a band since 2011 which means you’ve also kind of grown up together. Have you learned any important lessons from each other?

OA: So, we met due to growing up in the same area, surfing, and going to a few different schools. From there, since we got along well as teenagers, we kind of found a passion for writing our own music. I guess, one thing we’ve always tried to remind each other of is to have fun and not take life too seriously.

Was music something all of you had your sights set on doing? Did you all already have musical ability before starting the band or did you pick up on certain instruments and skills along the way?

OA: Not in the beginning.

Most of us picked up music during high school and then, we just taught ourselves from there. I would say most of our development as players happened after we formed the band.

You’ve said that the recording of your latest album was pretty hectic between touring and tracking in the studio. How did that impact the final sound?

OA: We were able to leave the work we were doing and go on tour to play the old stuff, so when we came back to the studio after a tour, we had fresh ears and new ideas that we could take straight back into the process. Taking our time helped us make each track and the whole record more thoughtful, which was the major difference between this time around and last.

This album is called Lonely Diamond which, from my interpretation, is almost ironic as diamonds are some of the most sought after gems. How did you guys come up with the album title?

OA: We borrowed it from the track called “Lonely

Diamond,” but they aren’t necessarily linked in that way.

We thought a cut diamond represented a multi-faceted window that had differing viewpoints of the same subject. This record feels like a crowning jewel for us and, hopefully, it remains an honest and true representation of our sound and ourselves.

Normally, after album releases, artists go on tour and promotional runs. This time, that’s quite different. Having this increased time to sit with the music after its release, how are you guys feeling about the project?

OA: In a way, it’s nice to have more time to make sure the live shows absolutely go off when they come back. But, really, we’d rather just be playing this new stuff now.

It will be big and better than last time around, that’s for sure.

When I listen to your music, I picture myself on an epic Indiana Jones-esque adventure. What kind of adventure would you all score your music to?

OA: I’d say a Tarantino-inspired Western.

I saw that you guys are advocates for mental health and well-being. What are some ways you guys make time to check in on yourselves and others?

OA: It’s been more difficult to do that during the last year as we’ve moved further apart, plus this whole lockdown thing. We make sure we take the time and effort to visit each other to hang out and go surfing or fishing.

When we get together to play music, it’s always special, too.

A general check-in with your mate or family to make sure they’re doing ok is a little thing we can all try and do more of.

Though the world has come to a bit of a halt, there has been an incredible push to rid the world of social injustices. With all of this going on, has it affected how you use social media to address world issues?

OA: We have always given back to our community, that’s a very important part of all of our lives. We donate our time and money to charities including One-Eighty and

Cerebral Palsy Alliance and are so proud to help make a positive difference in the world. Everyone should do their best to make the world a better place. That’s what we need right now.

Thank you to Ocean Alley for having a chat with us all the way from Australia. Be sure to support the band’s latest release, Lonely Diamond, and watch the visualizer for an added experience!

MEET: RIANNE AKINDELE

INSTAGRAM: @radicalrianne

Meet Rianne, a music lover since birth who has now joined in on the creative documentation process through her artist interviews and concert photography. Taking up concert photography added a different dimension to her experience attending live shows that she absolutely loves. There’s something special about having the first fifteen minutes of a show to try and capture those special moments.