By Garry Lu (@mrputneyswope)
After a lengthy sabbatical, Oliver Tank returns with a new album set to release on the 21st of April, as well as a national tour throughout the entirety of May. We sat down with the indietronica star-child to examine the subconscious, personal narratives in music, and grinding it out to the other side.
How people can possibly conceive musical compositions will always baffle me because my mind will never work that way. So I guess my question is, how do you come up with such dreamlike soundscapes that borders on the surreal?
I like to write really pretty melodies. I usually start by making loops I really like. And if I can listen to it over and over again, that usually means Iโm happy with it. I use a lot ofโฆ sort of dreamy sounds, paddy synths, and soft drums. And just make nice melodiesโฆ yeah, I donโt know man [laughs .]. Itโs just kind ofโฆ you experiment each time, really work hard to make some unusual sounds come together. I like to mix electronic-y sorts of sounds with more natural acoustic sounds, piano and stuff, soโฆ I feel like if you can get a good mix of more electronic sounds with more acoustics sounds, they can come together really wellโฆ itโs always different. I donโt really have the same thing I do every timeโฆ just running audio or vocals through a delay pedal or some reverb, warping it while itโs going through, then I put chords behind that, see how it sounds. Just a lot of experimentation.
Freud said, โNothing that is mentally our own can ever be lost.โ, and by extension, taken. Would you say that music is how you take ownership and dominion of what is mentally yours?
I definitely feel itโs a way I can express myself. And I donโt really know any other way to do it. And it really relaxes me, makes me feelโฆ peaceful. I can always turn to music, I think. In that sense, I feel like itโs of special importance to me, and I donโt really know anything else that does that for peopleโฆ even with listening to other peopleโs music, itโs such a power mediumโฆ it just has a real effect on me, and thatโs what Iโm trying to do. Iโm trying to have that same effect on other people. Music is so special it can help people through a tough timeโฆ thatโs the most rewarding thing, I think.
Is there a specific place where you draw upon the emotion behind each song?
A lot of my music is just about the things that Iโm going through. And I think thatโs what makes it so personal, and thatโs why I can put so much into it, because Iโve lived itโฆ I guess when I was really struggling making music, not like I was good enough, it was easier to write aboutโฆ living through it. It kind of goes back to music always being there for me, even when I was feeling really down about life, it was there, and I could express myself through itโฆ it gave everything I did so much more meaningโฆ people can tell when you really care. Originally when I first started making music, I wanted to make bangers andโฆ not pop songs but stuff people could just party to. And I felt like I was trying to force it. Then it came out all super chill and dreamy, and I was like, โI should just stop fighting itโฆ I should just be myselfโฆโ I can have a crack at that other stuff and put my own spin on itโฆ I just embraced how I was feeling and what was coming out instead of fighting it and being an artist that Iโm not.
Youโve got a new album coming out on the 21st of this month. Tell us a little about that?
Well, itโs been a long time coming. Itโs going to be a big release. Iโve just been working on it for years. And it just never felt good enough, never felt finished. And I was starting to get really down about it. I just felt like it was never going to be done. It just become this burden, instead of something I wanted to do for funโฆ I just kept cycling through songs, I probably had fifty songs, and I start them, and I thought they were going to be cool, then I get over it.
So I went through a draft of like ten songs, and was like, โYou know what? Just send me away to Melbourne, anywhere but home, with a producer I work with down thereโฆ and Iโm not coming back until itโs done.โ It had started to become not funโฆ I said, โIโm not enjoying it is the problem.โ So yeah, went down to Melbourne, worked with a guy called Jono Spear. A lot of the tracks were fairly close to finished, but I just needed to bounce ideas off someone.
He really helped me take it to a whole other levelโฆ down there for two-three months, and I got it done. Kind of a similar feeling to when I finished uni, it was such a relief. Ready to move on. Ten tracks, really personal, same sort of stuff I was talking about before. I just felt really good about itโฆ Iโm really excited to get it out. I really believe in the music thatโs on there. Already started on a bunch of new stuffโฆ Iโm feeling inspired again.
And youโll also be touring the country for the entirety of next month.
Just excited to tour again because I havenโt done it in a while, and got a lot more songs to play now. Iโll be playing a lot from the new album and some old songs, the classics that everyone seems to love. Iโm just excited to get back on the road, and be in front of people again.
Make sure you get Oliver Tankโs new album OT, out April 21st. Check his site for more details and find out about his tour dates below.
