A celebration of all that it is to be alive and free in the world today, OKA draws upon their indigenous connection to place and country through music.
Their signature sound is an irresistible blend of influences spanning house, big beat, reggae-dub, roots, jazz and world music. The Sunshine Coast act will be one of the headliners when Originals Music Festival takes place in November.
Stu Boga Fergie, 'the big man behind the electronic beats, keys and vocals' tunes in.
Originals is happening in your hometown, Coolum. The ultimate homecoming party surely?
Yeah, it's great to be back on home soil and representing our community; our global travels is so important to us, so playing at home is the ultimate gig. You get to share some new tunes inspired by your overseas travels. We are so pumped to play the Originals festival again… East coast lifestyles represent!"
You are sharing the bill with Sticky Fingers, Regurgitator, Pierce Brothers, Bootleg Rascal… if you can join anyone on stage, which act are you gatecrashing and why?
What a line-up… I think they are all amazing artists and would be amped to play with any of them… but I do have a soft spot for the Sticky boys; we got to bro down a bit in and around Amsterdam last year and so it would be cool to play some didge with the lads.
Life at a festival for a band… is backstage worth the hype?
If the backstage is cool then you know that the festival organisers are going that extra mile. Last year was epic so the bar is high… can't wait !
The Sunshine Coast's live music scene… there has always been a pulse, but it seems the last five to ten years, the area has really begun to cultivate a number of quality acts, right?
For sure. The Coast is such a creative place I think, and it's always been an inclusive environment as an artist I think. We seem to put on our own-style gig regardless of a shortage of venues or council restrictions… it keeps it underground and the music content healthy. Now, we're really seeing some amazing fruits coming up. It's exciting to see for sure.
CD sales in the last ten years have plummeted globally, yet OKA have managed to sell hundreds of thousands of albums independently. What's your secret? I think we have done stuff our own way. We started on the streets busking and I think that hustle and enjoyment of playing to people anywhere and everywhere is a big reason. The other is the fact that we travel overseas a lot and due to the global crisis I think people need more than ever a positive injection of sunshine and good vibes that OKA represents. We're encouraging the smiles at every show and I think the CD sales are just a by-product of the grassroots, underground support for our music.
OKA has a larger profile in some parts abroad than at home… given our island status, why do you think reggae hasn't become as mainstream?
I think reggae is the ultimate sound of conscious freedom; sure, the mainstream love to control it more and more, but the heart of true reggae is more about the struggle against the values of the mainstream so it keeps itself nicely separate.
I'm told you have a new single plus an album in the works… what can you reveal? When are you looking to release?
We are looking to drop a new single at the Originals Festival for our home peeps. We have been busy writing some exciting new sounds, so keep your ear to the ground as a few singles drop before our new album comes out early in 2016.
Stu, you also do the artwork for the band's albums/ merch. It obviously provides another creative outlet… how hands-on are the band with the day-to-day running of the OKA?
Yeah, I seem to be all things OKA… ha ha ha. We have always been an independent band and have always had to handle all parts of the music game. Some parts you love, [all the artwork and design side is so fun and enjoyable]. Music and art really inspire each other for me, it's just finding time to stay onto of all the paperwork that can get time consuming, especially as we are on the road touring a lot and our profile has grown. But keeping it independent means we can balance our family life better and enjoy the music game of craziness better. The journey continues...
You're also playing Island Vibe… you guys seem to be spending the best part of spring parked by the beach. Is it the best aspect of life in the band, the touring?
Yeah, that's where we love playing, on the coast and with our toes in the sand and ocean if possible. We did a few weeks in Europe again this year and some of our favourite gigs were pop-up beach bars on the coast of Spain… I think the salt in the air really brings the best out in us and our music.
OKA play the Originals Music Festival 7 Nov; they're also part of the Island Vibe bill (30 Oct - 1 Nov) before heading south to play the annual roots music conference AWME 2015 (12-14 Nov) in Melbourne.
