“Returning to the studio, Oliver’s sophomore effort ‘Tailspin’ sees an angst fuelled plunge into alternative subculture, incorporating elements of multiple genres in a relentless pursuit of evocative sonic textures and ever meticulous songwriting. Delving into self destructive thought patterns, the gap between reality and idealisation, as well as the raw emotions surrounding secrets that can never be spoken of, everything combines to create ‘the kind of storm that places a listener within a vacuum trapped between ethereal and existential’ (Dylan Grinker, New Sounds).
‘Tailspin’ is an expansion of the aesthetic established in Oliver’s debut EP ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’, which defines a sonic palate inspired by shoegaze and dream pop royalty Cocteau Twins, my bloody valentine and Slowdive but with a melodic sensibility more akin to Lana Del Rey or Mazzy Star.
While the initial singles were more on the jet-propelled pop side of things: ‘Not Sinking, Yet Floating’ further explored combinations of prehistoric guitar walls and reverb-drenched synths, with ethereal hooks and traditional songwriting prevailing at the project’s core.
All five songs (including the near seven minute Closer) saw national airplay from the likes of BBC Introducing (three as Track of the Week), Slack City, and DKFM. In total, Oliver has amassed over 50,000 Spotify plays, and the music video for the lead single ‘Fiesta’ has over 20,000 YouTube views.
Oliver has performed nationally and extensively on the DIY London circuit playing venues such as The George Tavern, Camden Assembly, The Victoria, and Old Blue Last sharing the stage with the likes of Junodream, Swim School, October Drift, White Flowers, Graywave and Lemondaze.“
I have shared a single from this EP on my blog before and I quite enjoyed it. My shoegaze dose is still bearable and I can still listen to more of it. The best thing about listening to shoegaze on headphones is that you can lower the volume. This weekend I was at the show with a band playing shoegaze and oh my, my ears were hurting, but I loved it. This dreamy shoegaze EP is much more soothing and creates a great atmosphere. It was quite refreshing to listen to it. Just 21 minutes of your time and you can enjoy every single track.
Another great shoegaze releases that should now be missed.
I reached out to Oliver and asked him our 3 Qs.
What inspired you to start making music and what keeps you making music?
It feels like something that I’m good at (I hope) and something I can give to other people. It’s amazing how much emotional information you can convey with the vehicle of a pop song, and how much you can learn about yourself and others.
What was the most challenging thing in your music (artistic) path?
I think the current industry landscape means that falling between genres or niches can really count against you until you become prominent enough where it starts working in your favour, so I think currently trying to navigate that. Obviously being a solo artist who plays shoegaze with a band is not the most radical idea anyone’s ever had, but it certainly has very signifcant advantages and disadvantages.
What would you dream to do if anything was possible?
I think if I ever make a piece of music that helps someone understand a feeling they can’t make sense of, I’d be very happy. But I want to make music that reaches many ears and big stages because I believe it’s worth listening to and people will get something from it.
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