A Quick Chat With Odlaw

For those unfamiliar, how would you describe Odlaw in 3 words? 
Sad Party band 

Congratulations on your new single release, ‘Dead On The Inside’. What inspired you to write this song? 
Thank you. I was having a moment of depression and upset at the world about something, so I picked up my guitar and sang until I felt better. That’s how many of my songs come out. It must have been a pretty dark moment for me, cause there's a big death theme in the song, but also it's vague enough to be about anything, which means it couldn't have been that bad. I often write very literally and this songs more of a wild bunch of lyrical ideas that captures the feeling I was having, but give me no clues to what exactly was bothering me.

After playing it back a few times solo, I ended up changing the melody so it was upbeat. There’s a few lyrical moments in it that really tickle me. There’s a part where I complain about how annoyingly upbeat commercial radio is. I hate how upbeat most radio stations are. That's why I like listening to community radio, it feels like real people with real personalities talking to you. 

And then I got Veronica to sing lead parts with me so it’s a bit more of a back and forth conversation. Which really lifted the song for me. I almost didn’t put it on the album, but adding Veronica’s voice made it so much better.

What are 5 things you like to do to feel less dead on the inside? 

1. Write songs. That is my therapy. I write a lot

2. See my friends, preferably at a picnic in Hyde Park

3. Watch films (preferably something with Nicolas Cage)

4. Cook something slow and low, like a broth or pasta sauce

5. Cycle through the back streets of Perth (bonus points if its nighttime and your drunk - though that might be illegal)
   
   If you could play this song to anyone, dead or alive, who would you play it to? 
   Nicolas Cage. I don’t think he’d like it, but who cares I'd get to meet Nicolas Cage.
   
   You are currently crowdfunding to release your fourth album, ‘Mi(l)d Life Crisis’ on vinyl. Why is vinyl an important format for you? 

I love the physical format. Sadly I'm old enough to remember CD’s being a big deal way before streaming was accessible, and I remember the joy of getting new music and having something tangible to look at and feel.. There are billions of songs coming out every year, its cool that we can access it from anywhere, but to me it doesn't feel that real. When you get a record from a band you love, it feels like you own it, like your part of their career. You have that trophy to celebrate them and your love for their music. I have a lot of CDs and Records from WA bands that no longer exist, and I feel a heap of joy knowing that I can listen to that music if the internet goes down. 

What are some of the incentives fans can get for donating to the campaign? 

You can get the album on vinyl record, which is a big one. We also have new T-shirts coming. We are making up Zines for everyone that helps us out on crowdfunding. And there's a couple of wild cards in there as well. We can write a song for you, about anything you choose, or we can put on a house party for you. Pls provide your own house.

From your own record collection, which are your favourite Australian releases? 
I have a lot of good Australian releases. It’s hard to pick a small number. Aussie music is pretty amazing. Here are 5 that i’ve listened to recently

1. Foam - Coping Mechanisms

2. Merpire - Simulation Ride

3. Noah Dillon - Kill The Dove

4. Good Boy - It Takes a lot of skill to milk a mare

5. Courntey Barnett - sometimes I sit and think, sometimes I just sit

What can fans expect to hear on the upcoming album release ‘Mi(l)d Life Crisis’?
This was a really fun record to make. I wanted to capture the feeling of the full 9 piece band playing in a room, while also getting a little deeper into the art of songwriting. I think we managed to showcase the fun joy of Odlaw while still having those really intimate sincere moments. The rest of the band reckon its really good, which is all the validation anyone should need, cause my band is talented.

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