This week Oceanics wowed me with their new single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” so when I got the opportunity to chat to the band’s guitarist Jackson Haswell I jumped at the chance. Read on to find all about the song that’s stuck in my head, the band’s forthcoming EP, and life on the road.
You’re releasing your second EP at the end of the month. What can you tell me about it?
We’d like to think that it’s a solid step in a more mature direction. Wayne Connolly really helped us develop as a collective, and better understand the principles of songwriting.
What do you think you learned between the recording of your first EP and this one?
Once again, I attribute a lot of the learning process to Wayne Connolly here. Our approach to writing songs, especially at the guitar platform, has been influenced. Elliot and I began working on newer material even during the recording process of this EP, and are excited to keep trucking with our new approach.
What was it like stepping into the studio the second time around?
Considering it was a larger studio, miles from home, it was different to say the least. We borrowed Wayne’s excellent amp collection and really had a chance to mess around with sounds and make forward strides in our journey to finding our sound.
The EP features the single “Chinatown (Is Not Newtown),” which is one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard lately. Why did you choose to share it with the public?
Thank you very much! It was a decision influenced by radio pluggers and PR types from Melbourne to Brisbane. Next time I’d be very interested to see how a decision would fare, based purely upon the band’s collective instinct.
Your press release credits your friendship as one of the keys to the band’s success. How did you all meet?
That sounds cute. I would say we’re as friendly with each other as any other young band. We all have our own friendship circles outside Oceanics. Elliot and I were friends in high school, and met Andy and Tom later when we decided to take our Simon and Garfunkel guitar duo to the live stage.
You’re about to start touring the East Coast to support the EP’s release. How do you feel about that?
We’re flying to Melbourne on Thursday night to begin the first of the shows. We’re excited to be playing that far south once again. It’s been a while.
What do you love most about playing live?
Playing electric guitar is where I find my personality extended to its fullest. Being applauded by a large group of people for purely doing what I love is the best thing I’ve encountered in my 20 years on this planet.
Will the rest of Australia get the chance to see you any time soon?
At this stage, places like Adelaide, Perth and Tasmania aren’t a feasible option. It’s certainly something I’ll be pushing for as soon as possible though. This country is huge and I want to do laps of it.
Do you have anything else in the pipeline?
Writing as many songs as possible for the foreseeable future. We want an extensive song bank to choose from for our next studio production, whenever that may be.
You can catch Oceanics doing their thing at the following venues this month and the next.
15 March 2012 – Laundry, Melbourne
16 March 2012 – FBi Social, Sydney
22 March 2012 – Cobra Kai, Brisbane (EP Launch)
23 March 2012 – Elsewhere, Gold Coast (EP Launch)
12 April 2012 – Landsdowne Hotel, Sydney
13 April 2012 – Mum, Sydney
14 April 2012 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney