If you haven’t already immersed yourself in Papier Mâché, the debut single from Perth-based duo Oceanique, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now. The song is a tight three-and-a-half-minute package of pure folk charm, and we’ve had it spinning on repeat ever since we first laid ears on it.
So, fresh off the single’s release, we caught up with the band to chat all about it, the writing processes, musical influences, and what the future holds.
With an amazing debut single fresh under their belts, we caught up with Perth-based sister duo Oceanique for a chat.
HAPPY: Hey, how’s it going? What are you up to at the moment?
OCEANIQUE: Hello! We just had the best weekend at WAMCon/ WAMFest playing a few shows, seeing lots of great local acts and meeting so many lovely people!
HAPPY: We’re loving Papier Mâché! How does it feel having the track out there in the world?
OCEANIQUE: It’s been so great! We have had lots of great feedback on the tune and we are so grateful! It’s nice to have something out there for people to listen to.
HAPPY: Could you tell us a bit about the song?
OCEANIQUE: This song means a great deal to us, we started to write Papier Mache after we got a parking fine but then it turned into one of those reflective songs where once it’s written you step back and realise it was everything you felt at the time. It’s an honest song about being a little bit mean sometimes.
HAPPY: We assume you two have been playing music together for a long time. How did the formation of your new band impact your musical output?
OCEANIQUE: We both have been playing music together since we were little, so it really helps with writing and knowing each other’s creative vision. The band addition has been great! It helps us to play more gigs and strengthen our sound. Writing is a very personal process for the two of us, so we bring our songs to the band allowing them to add their creative inputs.
HAPPY: Could you walk us through how an Oceanique song comes together? Is there a general process, or does it vary from track to track?
OCEANIQUE: It kind of varies but it generally starts either with one of us having a lyric or a concept that we want to turn into a song. The writing is very shared and we bounce off each other’s creativity, we like to get the structure down and form a lyrical story then add harmonies and all that jazz afterwards.
HAPPY: Did any particular artists influence this release?
OCEANIQUE: We wrote this song after we began to delve into listening to the local Perth music scene. Artists like Carla Geneve, Noah Dillon and Jack Davies influenced us a lot in our songwriting, with their honesty and well-crafted lyricism. It’s so nice to be surrounded by such talented musicians in WA!
HAPPY: Are there any other artists you’re really loving at the moment?
OCEANIQUE: Stella Donnelly is doing amazing things for the music industry both nationally and internationally, her message and her songwriting is just absolutely incredible! We are also really loving, Moth, Ruby Gill, and Hallie.
HAPPY: What’s next for Oceanique? Any other exciting plans in the works?
OCEANIQUE: We are planning a second single release for early next year along with a regional WA south coast tour! We are so excited for the future, to play more gigs, write more songs and release new music!
HAPPY: Cheers for the chat!
OCEANIQUE: Thankyou!
