interview: oscar + martin

So we all know that Melbourne has spawned a very diverse and talented range of musicians. Some have gone international, some have forged bands that are fixtures in your favorite bar, and some just make you really, really happy. Oscar + Martin, who are actually Oscar Slorach-Thorn and Martin King, two guys who did the cover band thing, do the DJ-ing thing, and above all, just make awesome music. I had the opportunity to speak to Martin King about little things like the release of their debut album, For You, and their upcoming performance at Sugar Mountain Festival. And then we laughed and I gushed over how much I love the album, sufficiently embarrassing myself.

So tell me a little bit about how you guys started making music together.
Well it’s the same as anybody really, we were in school together, music class, just made a lot of noise in the beginning. Then we formed a bunch of misshapen bands, and did a lot of cover stuff. You know the, Smells Like Teen Spirit, and all that goofy trashy rock that you played in Year 9. So we played a lot together, a few bands, and then it just sort of happened naturally.

For You has been out for a week now, how’s that been working out? Has it inspired any big plans?
It’s actually been great so far, nobody’s been mean, it’s been selling well I hear. To be honest we’re pretty stoked with the reaction, apparently we were Triple R album of the week, and on the charts with FBi radio in Sydney, so hopefully if we get enough airplay we can start making plans. At the moment we’re just seeing how things play out. We’re thinking of maybe starting touring plans in about a month or two, so far it’s just Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and hopefully we’ll get a little love from Perth and we can head there. It’s more about the money, unfortunately.

How did you guys celebrate the release?
A little party at the Workers Club in Fitzroy. We might plan a launch gig in about a month, but this was great. It was small, just good friends who had been there throughout the whole process, Oscar and I were just DJ-ing the whole night, it was good fun.

Tell me a little bit about the album itself, the recording process, and how you tapped into that unique sound.
I don’t know really, the music we make is pretty much a reflection of the music we listen to. So you’ll hear a little Prince, a little MJ, and unfortunately a little Nelly. We like R&B and hip hop, so that works its way in there. Really, we’re just dudes in Melbourne playing in an indie pop band, so it’s all kind of the same. Half the time we’ll be joking around, and it turns into a song that people like.

The recording process actually started almost a year ago, I think around October or something last year. So it’s been a while, but we weren’t really serious about it. Then along came Nick Hutchins, and we got ourselves into a studio, did 3 months of solid work. Party Time is Scary was actually the first song that was completed, and that had been floating around for a while. It was a lot of all-nighters in a basement at RMIT, to be honest, that’s pretty much all I can tell you.

How was Record Store Day? I know you guys played at Polyester in the city, how was it playing a part in one of the best events for independent music?
Well first of all, parking in the city sucks, so I dropped Oscar off there and 45 minutes later, it started to get fun. Nate, the guy that sort of runs Polyester, is a good friend of ours, so it was really great of him to set that up. We had a good crowd, and Beck Rigby, who is a part of another project of mine, Harpoons, is so great. She played with us, and has such a beautiful voice, she’s a wonderful singer and a good friend.

Looking forward to Sugar Mountain Festival?
Oh yeah, we’re really excited to see all these international artists. And so far all our gigs have been pretty small, so it’ll be awesome to play at The Forum, and feel that festival vibe. And really, it’s just awesome, it’s the way live music should be, surrounded by your friends, just playing music you like, and we couldn’t hope for a better gig.