Ocasan are a three-piece band from London determined to do things a little differently. With their album released in three EPs, the band are focused on how to provide music for a new generation. RUSHONROCK‘s Russell Hughes chat with Luke McDonnell about it all…
RUSHONROCK: Your new single Camden Casualty is out now – tell us a little bit about it.
Luke McDonnell: It’s a Jimmy Eat World meets Weezer track about some cretins we found in Camden Lock.
RUSHONROCK: Your album Elixir has been released in a three part collector’s edition of EPs – what was the thinking behind that?
LM: With the evolution in music consumption, people now have short attention spans. Unless you’re a die-hard fan albums are wasted on new ears. We split the album into three to stagger release and keep everyone interested. It meant that ‘album tracks’ didn’t get lost into the ether.
RUSHONROCK: Do you think you’ll be able to find a place for the next album to be released all as one, or does releasing them in parts allow your fans to connect with the music in a deeper way?
LM: I think so. Mainly because they give it the time it deserves. We’re releasing Elixir as one full album 9th October 2015.
RUSHONROCK: I find your music videos to be more artistic and creative than some bands – where does that come from and is it an important part of what you do as a band?
LM: We enjoy it. These days being in a band isn’t all about writing music and touring. You have to play marketing team, record producer, touring agent, manager, video director, artistic director etc. etc. We love being creative so it’s all part and parcel of what we do. I think there’s something special about bands that do it all themselves. It shows them in their true light.
RUSHONROCK: Are there any plans to take to the road, apart from your launch party in October?
LM: We’re touring Russia early November, heading back to Italy soon and we’ll have some UK dates later in the year. Our launch party for Camden Casualty is in London 5th October at the Garage Islington. That’s going to be a blast!
RUSHONROCK: I read in an interview that you said most of your songs are about personal experience but are there any experiences that you wouldn’t turn into a song?
LM: Bleaching a toilet.
RUSHONROCK: Aside from music, what interests you, what keeps you ticking?
LM: Nathan is a professional live sound engineer. He loves his job. Whenever we’re not busy with the band he’s working with other touring acts. Nick is really into sports. He’s is glued to his screen at any given moment to either cheer or shout abuse. I run a creative design company called Chiba Creative. I spend a lot of my time making videos, painting, drawing and rebranding companies. You can see some of my personal work here: https://www.facebook.com/LukeMcDonnellART
RUSHONROCK: Do you still all live together and, if so, is there ever a time when you just need to get away from the band and have your own space?
LM: We all make sure we get a little time for ourselves but rarely a day or two goes by where we’re not in each others pockets. We live above the Craufurd Arms (live music venue) in Wolverton. It’s our creative haven. Two live venues, recording studio, bar and most importantly all our friends. It’s like a rock n’ roll commune. We love it.