It’s been nearly four years since Oh No Oh My released their eponymous debut LP, but the band has hardly been resting. Two EPs have dropped in the intervening time span, each more polished than the last, leading up to the local quartet’s sophomore full-length to finally be delivered early next year. While the group’s early songs lilted towards twee anthems that strike as intrinsically catchy, and their tunes still work in easy indie pop tones, they have added considerably more rock oriented and complex arrangements that rise in crescendoed refrains as keys and guitars propel in equal measure. The band is currently in the studio, but will emerge this Saturday, October 17, for a show at the Parish to benefit the East Africa Metamorphosis Project along with Cory Branan, Booher and the Turkeys, and the Businessman DJs. You can also check out one of their new songs recorded live from Luxury Wafers below.
Profile: Oh No Oh My
Year Formed:
2005
Members/Instruments played:
Greg Barkley: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Joel Calvin: Drums, Percussion, Keyboards
Daniel Hoxmeier: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Tim Regan: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Former Bands/Side Projects:
Abby Birds (Joel, Greg)
Antenna Shoes (Tim)
Snowglobe (Tim)
The Pirates (Tim)
Poor Yorik (Daniel, Joel, Greg)
The Jolly Rogers (Daniel, Joel, Greg)
Albums:
Between the Devil and the Sea (EP) - 2005 - Self Released
Oh No! Oh My! - 2006 - Self Released
Dmitrij Dmitrij (EP) - 2008 - Self Released
New Album Coming Winter/Spring 2010
Influences:
Radiohead
The Beatles
(These are the only two constant influences that everyone would agree on. But our influences are constantly changing. I feel like if we had a more permanent list, our songwriting would never see any growth.)
Strangest comment or comparison ever made about your music:
We had an interview in Toulouse, France once, where one of the questions was something along the lines of “What does it feel like to be amongst the greatest songwriters of all time like Bob Dylan or the Beatles?” I think the question must have been lost in translation somehow, but we were all rendered speechless and laugh about it ever since. We obviously would never dream to put ourselves in the same category as those two.
Favorite local bands:
Corto Maltese, Loxsly, Booher and the Turkeyz, TV Torso, The Laughing
Favorite local venue:
Emo’s Inside? Probably? I don’t know.
Upcoming shows scheduled:
October 17th - The Parish w/ Cory Branan, Booher and the Turkeyz (East Africa Metamorphosis Project Benefit)
November 23rd - Granada Theater (Dallas) w/ Neko Case
November 24th - Antones w/ Neko Case
Shows over the next month that you’re excited to see (other bands):
November 6th - The Deadly Syndrome w/ Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ The Independent
November 7th - Jack Oblivian, John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives @ Beerland
November 7th - Royal Bangs, The Laughing @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
November 11th - Regina Spektor @ Stubbs
Some of your favorite albums from the past year:
Everyone would have their own answer to this, but here’s a couple for me:
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs
Ideal band (past or present) to open for on a national tour:
Radiohead (duh, sorry)
Belle & Sebastian
Yo La Tengo
Broken Social Scene
Wilco
(This list could seriously go on forever…)
Austin Sound questions:
Y’all have been blogging extensively about your recording sessions for the new album. Has any of the feedback from fans impacted the process for y’all?
I don’t think we’ve shown people enough new music to get that kind of feedback. It’s all been pretty simple positive “I’m really excited about this” type of stuff. So it’s encouraging to know that there are people out there waiting for it…spurs us on to do the best we can to exceed expectations.
Between being mugged at gunpoint, almost winning the Gatti’s Pizza jingle contest, and working on the new album, y’all have had a pretty eventful and fraught summer. How are you going to top that next year?
By releasing our first full length album in 4 years. Getting back to touring the US again, maybe Europe? WHO KNOWS?!?!?!?! Seriously. We’ll probably turn the tables around and start mugging people ourselves. WITH OUR MUSIC. That doesn’t make any sense. Maybe start up our own restaurant, and write our own jingle for it.
Song Introduction:
“You Were Right (Live at Luxury Wafers)”
We recorded live one of our new songs that will be on our upcoming album for this cool thing called Luxury Wafers. So it’s a nice little preview of what’s to come. It’s definitely not exactly like what the final version will be. You can find the whole session at http://www.luxurywafers.net/
Sound Off:
You guys should come to the show at the Parish. It’s for a good cause, and we’ll be playing some new songs from the upcoming album. Yeah. I am starting my own small recording studio in my backyard called “Sugarcube”, that’s also doubling as our rehearsal space. So, if you want to record some AWESOME music, you should come talk to me.
If you want to keep up with the recording process for our new album, you can follow along at our blog: http://ohnoohmysucks.blogspot.com/
You’ll gain some insight into what inspires us…like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwMygFF3EIM
Mp3s:
I Painted Your House
You Were Right (Live on Luxury Wafers)
Websites:
Myspace
www.ohnoohmy.com
