Since making her debut on the Brisbane music scene two years ago, Oh Bailey has built a reputation that saw the indie artist (and her band) recently perform at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics celebration gig on the banks of the Brisbane River.
Today also marks the release of Oh Bailey's newest single, 'Crushin'' – a song about fantasising a life with that perfect person you simply can't get out of your head.It also heralds the start of a creative move away from her synth-pop stylings, as Oh Bailey picks up a guitar to write new songs with indie-rock feels.
For those just discovering Oh Bailey, what has your artistic journey being like so far; and how do you think you've progressed the past two years?
It's been a grind! I've put a lot of hours into this project, but I wouldn't have done it without all the beautiful people that have helped me promote, organise and support me on my journey.
I've been really lucky to have such a supportive home base of friends and family that just want the best for Oh Bailey.
Your newest single is titled 'Crushin' – you mentioned on your socials it's one of your favourite songs; what makes it so special personally?
I'm such a fan of this song because it's so upbeat and fun to play; it's one of my favourite songs to perform live because not only does the chorus absolutely go off, there's also a section in the song where we get the audience to sing-along which is always so fun to watch.
Lyrically, what is the song about?
It's all a fantasy. The song is about having this insatiable crush on someone and not being able to get them out of your head. You're left daydreaming scenarios about them and everything that could be.
You've again collaborated with Brisbane producer Maximo; what does he bring to your projects that makes him a vital part of the recording the process?
Working with Maximo again was really awesome. I loved what we did together on my previous song ('Stuck Up') and knew that I wanted to work with him again for my next synth-pop song.
Maximo is such a dream to work with not only because we work so well together, bouncing ideas off each other, but he's also so good at taking my ideas for these songs and taking it to the next level.
You've mentioned it's the last synth-pop song you'll make; what has prompted this decision and can you ever see yourself returning to the genre in the future?
I started Oh Bailey as a synth-pop heavy project; at the time I was really inspired by The Japanese House and The 1975.
It was only recently I took up the guitar again and started to play with the band and write songs with the guitar rather than with my computer. I found the songwriting came more naturally, lyrics spilled out of me quicker.
I don't think I'll stray too far from the synth-pop genre, but my music has started to take a more organic turn with more live instruments and less processed synths.
The next chapter for Oh Bailey will move into indie rock territory; is this a natural progression and who are some of your influences/ inspirations that have shaped this move?
I've had a very natural progression to the indie rock territory. All the artists I ever listen to are Beabadoobee, Radiohead, City Calm Down, Holy Holy etc.
I am such a big fan of these artists and their style of writing; it was only a matter of time before those artist influences would bleed into my own music.
You're planning to release your debut EP later in 2021; will this be a new collection of songs or some from your current discography?
The EP will feature six brand-new songs. We've been playing these songs in our live sets, so some people may know them already. I'm so proud of all of these songs; they've taken literal blood, sweat and tears to make.
If I could describe them, they're authentic, raw, fierce and unapologetic. I don't want too spoil much, but I feel that these songs are just the beginning of what's to come for Oh Bailey.
Tell us about your recent experience opening the 2032 Brisbane Olympic gig at South Bank?
So unbelievably cool. I don't think the band and I realised how awesome the opportunity was to play at that event until we were soundchecking onstage right next to the Brisbane River.
The opportunity to perform live right now is pretty rare and not guaranteed to go ahead, so we were extremely grateful to play some live music again, especially for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic gig. I think the biggest highlight was being photographed for the front page of The Courier-Mail.
Did you watch/ consume a lot of the recent Olympics; favourite sports/ moments?
I loved watching the Olympics. My housemates and I watched a big chunk of the beach volleyball, soccer, gymnastics and some water polo. I'm not a massive sports, fan but there's something about the Olympics that really brings you in to watch.
The local indie music scene; how welcoming, nurturing have you found Brisbane/ SE QLD as you've begun to establish yourself locally?
The local Brisbane music scene has been nothing but accommodating. I've met so many wonderful people in this industry that are so willing to help out and watch you grow.
I'm entirely grateful to every person in this industry that has taken a chance to support Oh Bailey and I'm really lucky to have also met some incredibly talented artists along the way.
With the continued lack of live show opportunities, how are you handling that side of your artistic expression?
We had a really good run of live shows this year, which is extremely lucky. But recently we've seen almost every gig we've booked cancel now which can be a bit disheartening.
With the EP coming out, I've got my fingers and toes crossed that we can have regular live gigging again. But for now, I'm focusing on writing new music.
What can the average music fan do to support local musicians?
There are THREE really easy things a fan can do to support us local musicians.
1: Playlist our songs and following us on Spotify. 2: Following our social media accounts (like, comment and follow). 3: Buying merchandise. Just those things alone do so much for small artists. With live gigging an uncertainty, supporting us online goes a long way.
Thanks for your time; anything else you'd like to add?
A massive thank you to everyone that has supported Oh Bailey so far. There's so much more to come over the next few months, so stay tuned on my Instagram @ohbaileymusic and follow me on Spotify @Oh Bailey to be reminded when new songs come out.
