For Ocean Alley, they only wanted confidence to get issues rolling.
The indie surf-rock outfit returns with Love Balloon, their fifth studio album which acquired air final Friday, Sept. 19 by way of Neighborhood Music.
For the primary time, the Australian six-piece labored with legendary rock producer Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Rage Towards The Machine), following an introduction from former Powderfinger frontman Bernard Fanning.
“You’ll be able to inform how skilled he’s,” enthuses vocalist Baden Donegal, “as a result of he was simply so laid again and every part simply will get carried out and on time. He simply is aware of what’s down the highway, and we’re nonetheless studying all of that.”
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After a pair beers and a few rounds of golf with DiDia, the musicians simply “frolicked like mates” and talked just a little bit about music. “It was simply essentially the most cruisy form of mutual relationship that we’ve had up to now,” recounts bassist Nic Blom.
The result’s cruisy, too.
Spreading throughout 10 tracks, Love Balloon is a dreamy, chilled journey that ought to hit the goal with the Australian band’s rising fanbase.
Led by the singles “Tangerine,” “Left Of The Seller” and the title observe, the brand new set was recorded over three stints, throughout roughly three months. These ultimate recording periods had been “extra like a ‘plug-in and play’ form of method,” remarks guitarist Angus Goodwin. “Like, very a lot an old style method.”
Which checks out. Ocean Alley’s throwback sound is like an antidote to the push of recent life.
The group smashed via the boundaries with 2018’s “Confidence”, which topped triple J’s Hottest 100, an annual countdown that usually captures upwards of two million votes. Its mother or father Chiaroscuro narrowly missed out on a high 10 peak on the ARIA Albums Chart, hitting No. 11. Comply with-ups Lonely Diamond (from 2020) and Low Altitude Dwelling (2022) each peaked at No. 3 on the nationwide survey. “Confidence” is now six-times platinum licensed in Australia, and whole streams throughout all of the band’s songs exceed 1 billion.
With the breakthrough of “Confidence,” life within the band acquired a “entire lot extra severe,” says guitarist Mitch Galbraith. “There have been a whole lot of modifications we needed to make, the present needed to be much more skilled. There was much more strain. We needed to tone again the beers earlier than we went on stage and to make it possible for each notice was right. Get the important thing proper.”
They’ll hit these notes once they return to North America for a second run of headline dates beginning Oct. 2 at Empire Management Room & Storage in Austin, TX. Earlier stops this 12 months have included pageant appearances at Lollapalooza, Brooklyn Paramount Austin Metropolis Limits and Hollywood Palladium. However first, a dream gig at London’s 10,000 capability Alexandra Palace on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Would a No. 1 album scratch an itch? “It’d be good. Yeah, positive, I wouldn’t say no to a No. 1 album,” says Donegal. “We’ve by no means actually cared or chased a trophy or an accolade like that. We’re simply we’re stoked after we end a document and we’re proud of it and no matter occurs, occurs. We nonetheless get to love fly all over the world taking part in music to our followers. We love what we do.”
U.S. 2025 Tour Dates
Oct. 2 @ Empire Management Room & Storage – Austin, TX
Oct. 3 @ Home of Blues Houston – Houston, TX
Oct. 4 @ Austin Metropolis Limits Music Pageant – Austin, TX
Oct. 6 @ Home of Blues – New Orleans, LA
Oct. 8 @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville – Nashville, TN
Oct. 10 @ Home Of Blues – Dallas, TX
Oct. 11 @ Austin Metropolis Limits Music Pageant – Austin, TX
Oct. 13 @ The Truman – Kansas Metropolis, MO
Oct.15 @ Mission Ballroom – Denver, CO
October 17 @ Hollywood Palladium – Los Angeles, CA
