How a Perth musician turned a living room into a studio and solitude into a stunning debut.
Emerging from the vibrant Perth music scene, Josh O’Mara is not a new artist, but an experienced creator finally stepping into his own spotlight.
At 25, he has already lived a lifetime in music: a teenage Soundcloud experimenter, the frontman of the gig-hardened band SOAP, and for the last four years, a sound engineer honing his craft at a professional studio.
This rich tapestry of experience, from the raw energy of live performance to the meticulous science of the control room, informs every second of his debut solo EP, Home Alone.
It’s the work of an artist who has absorbed his influences, from the soulful depths of Otis Redding to the jazzy inflections of Wes Montgomery and the cinematic melancholy of 60s Italian film composers, and is now ready to distil them into a unique personal statement.
True to its title, Home Alone is an intimate confession, but it’s far from lo-fi.
The title track, and final single of the EP, immediately wraps the listener in a warm, dreamy soundscape.
O’Mara’s vocals are delivered with a soulful, weary grace, reminiscent of King Krule’s poetic drawl, floating over a bed of melancholic guitar chords.
The production is the song’s secret weapon. While he built this EP in the humble, untreated corner of his living room, a space he’s occupied since he was 16, the track sounds lush, expansive, and deeply professional.
The separation of instruments is clear, the bassline provides a warm, pulsing heart, and subtle, psychedelic-tinged textures shimmer at the edges.
It shows his growth from that eager teen with an audio interface to a skilled producer who can make artistic limitations feel like deliberate, powerful choices.
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Lyrically, the song captures a specific, poignant feeling of isolation and transition, a fitting theme for an artist about to leave the very home where his musical identity was forged.
‘Home Alone’ marks the arrival of a mature, self-contained artist who can write, perform, record, and master a track of stunning emotional depth and sonic fidelity entirely on his own terms.
It’s a powerful and promising beginning to his solo journey.
