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A day at the beach with Aussie psych rockers Ocean Alley

Photo by The Sauce


The sun is setting behind rolling sand dunes crested with tufts of spiky beachgrass swaying gently in the salty breeze coming off the ocean. Smoky aromas of burning firewood and homegrown Mary Jane drift through the air like ancient magic as soft-focus silhouettes encircle a shifting, glowing bonfire in the distance. Friendly voices and laughter invite approach, mingling with vaguely familiar music breathing forth from a Bluetooth speaker planted in the sand. Worries melt away as quickly as a bead of condensation rolling down the side of cold beer passed between comrades. Handshakes, hugs, and smiles are shared as equally as a hand-rolled joint making its way from person to person, enabling a Baja hoodie tapestry of conversation and community underneath a jeweled dome of star filled infinity.

Hailing from Australia’s Northern Beaches region, an isolated alcove of white sand and world-class surf on the fringes of Sydney’s metropolitan sprawl, Ocean Alley exude casual beach-bum romanticism juxtaposed with smooth, urbane sensibilities that directly reflect the unique positioning and inherent diversity of their local environment. The affably inclusive nature of the band’s music has catapulted them to fame at home as their magnetic aesthetic begins to attract the attention of fans far beyond their own shores.

Ocean Alley is supporting the release of their newest album, Lonely Diamond, with a short film that accompanies the band on an afternoon spent with their second favorite pastime after making music, surfing. Essentially a love letter to their leisurely lifestyle and a means of engaging with fans both new and old, the video is an introductory primer into the very genesis of Ocean Alley. “We all grew up near the same beaches but I think we were tossed into the water as groms well before we picked up instruments. All of us met just hanging out at the beach.” The common love of surfing and beach culture eventually led the nascent band to casual jam sessions behind the shed at bassist Nic Blom’s parents’ house. “We would spend our afternoons and weekends surfing and evenings were spent playing Neil Young covers to our friends in the shed.” One thing led to another and before long Ocean Alley became a proper band that pulled in a wide range of musical and cultural influences to become one of the most buzzed about acts in Australia.

Ocean Alley’s sophomore LP debuted at #15 on Australia’s ARIA charts and famously bested American rapper Travis Scott to secure the coveted top spot on Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2018 with the infectiously positive lead single, “Confidence.” “It was a crazy time and something we never expected to happen to us. It created this pressure wave that we have been more than happy to ride into this next record,” says Ocean Alley about delivering a new album in the face of such massive hype. “We like performing when the stakes are high.” The band certainly stepped up to the plate for their follow-up. Lonely Diamond has been a massive success, cracking the ARIA top 10 to gain the #3 spot on the charts and earning positive marks from Rolling Stone, NME, and many others in the short weeks since the initial release.

Runaway success hasn’t changed Ocean Alley’s perspective on remaining independent, and in some respects has further cemented their resolve to continue growing organically. “It feels great to make music and not have to answer to a label. It’s not easy to build a rapport … as an independent band, but with some perseverance we’ve managed to convey that what we care about most is making and performing music that people can connect with in their own way.”

There’s a lot to connect with in Ocean Alley’s sound. The laid-back beachside vibes are slick and professional, characterized by big, earnest anthems like those that dominated late 1990s and early 2000s airwaves but packed with enough heart and humanity to keep the songs grounded while coasting along on a light buzz. At surface level there are plentiful references to the types of sounds that defined bands like Dispatch, O.A.R., and 311, reaching even occasionally into the casual precision of Infinity Overhead era Minus The Bear and the restrained vigor of late-career Incubus, but dig a little deeper and Ocean Alley’s touchpoints stretch back even further. There’s healthy doses of reggae, dub, and R&B but like fellow psychedelic spelunkers Khruangbin, Lonely Diamond is predominately a guitar-forward record. Echoes of Jimi Hendrix’s six-string heroics stand alongside the folksy resilience of Neil Young that initially inspired the band’s earliest performances. Fans of Fleetwood Mac will recognize the deep emotional undercurrents that propel ocean waters into crests of foam that break on the shoreline with the thundering crash of Pink Floyd’s most dramatic moments, softened and tempered into the roar of distant surf.

Ocean Alley’s inspiration comes from many sources beyond just music, including “the complexity of our human life but equally the magnificence of nature.” “Having grown up in this beautiful part of the world, our happy places are anywhere outdoors and in nature,” says the band. “We each truly feel like Mother Nature is the great equaliser and a force to be respected and admired. If we can capture even the slightest essence of that in our music then that is special to us.” A healthy respect for nature is critical in the art of surfing, where individual skill is essential to standing up to the overwhelming power of the ocean, and a cause to celebrate the strength of humanity. Ocean Alley’s unique perspective on the alignment of human and natural add a textural appeal that call back to the most elemental facets of existence and serves to draw people closer together in awe of the wild beauty of our universe.

Australian culture itself also plays a big role. “We are proud of our way of life and our multicultural… background and so we champion that,” says the band about the foundations for their art. The diversity of the population surrounding Sydney can be heard in every note across the band’s catalog and is a key component of their wide appeal. “Music is a great denominator and connects people from different cultures and from all different walks of life. If we can create a connection with people, entertain them, and challenge preconceptions — I think that is the ultimate goal.”

Expanding beyond their audience at home is a part of Ocean Alley’s vision but they’re not in any particular rush, especially as the global pandemic has halted touring. “We want nothing more than to return to normal shows,” says Ocean Alley, confident that their plans will remain on track. “It’s going to take a while for everyone to get back on their feet but when we do we want to pick up where we left off and put on some really sweet shows overseas.” In the meantime, Ocean Alley is content to enjoy their time at home in the sun, spending afternoons riding waves and writing tunes just like they have been doing since forming up for impromptu backyard jams for close friends.

‘Lonely Diamond’ and the rest of Ocean Alley’s catalog is available now on vinyl and CD via the band’s shop, and is streaming on Spotify. Follow the band on Instagram for the latest updates and a window into their idyllic oceanside lifestyle.



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