OLLIE BROWN - INTERVIEW.

Ollie Brown, who was crowned "Australia's Best Busker" in 2011, is no stranger to the road. He's toured with many famous artists including, Michael Buble, The Beach Boys, three SOLD OUT shows at The Sydney Opera House where he opened for Kina Grannis as well as performing at The Byron Bay Bluesfest in 2012 - his touring itinerary list goes on. 

After the release of his first E.P. "Moving On", Ollie Brown went on tour, travelling over 16,000 km's and playing 31 shows. The anticipated release of his latest E.P. "Weatherboard House" is in a matter of months and we, at The Optional E, are very excited for the 22-year-old.

A very busy Ollie Brown was able to have a chat with us and it was great to hear from the up-and-coming Australian singer/songwriter. 

When and how did you get into music?

I wanted to learn an instrument when I was 8 so my school music teacher handed me a Tuba and told me to start practicing.

What was it like being crowned 'Australia's Best Busker'? 

It was pretty surreal. I still don't know how so many voted for me... 

Who are your main musical influences?

Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ryan Adams, The Band, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, I could go on but I'll leave it there.

You've toured with many famous musical acts in the past few years , but who has helped you the most in improving as a performer and a singer/songwriter?

Well different tours have helped me in different ways. The main two would be The Beach Boys and my most recent tour with the Baby Animals. Every night on tour I'd listen to the Beach Boys and become more and more fascinated with their chord progressions and song structures. 'God Only Knows' is a great example and is also my favourite song of theirs.With the Baby Animals I learnt about stage presence and how to be more of a performer. If you're touring, no matter what music you play, you've got to have a presence on stage. So I watched Suze and Steve Balbi on stage every night and absorbed it all like a sponge.

What should we be expecting in your new E.P. 'Weatherboard House' ?

Weatherboard House is kind of like a teaser for the album which will be out a few months after. It draws from much older influences than my first EP. Some people have said it's very 70's sounding. I just tried to keep it honest and natural sounding. I'm really happy with it!

What's next for Ollie Brown?

Well the 'Weatherboard House' EP is out in Feb next year and my debut album will be released a few months later so there will be a lot of new music and touring over the next 12 months. 2014 is looking like its going to be a very big year.

You can catch Ollie Brown throughout December as he continues to tour! The dates are as follows:

Saturday 7 December

Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Friday 13 December

Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, Currarong

Thursday 19 December

Lizzotes, Newcastle

"Bedford Avenue" by Ollie Brown is an Optional E favourite! Check it out!

THE RED LIGHTS - INTERVIEW.

The Red Lights are a super snazzy indie rock band from Melbourne who have won fans over with their catchy hooks, warm harmonies and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. They've supported and performed alongside major acts such as The Rubens and Hunting Grounds, and we were very happy to catch up with drummer Davin Johnston after the release of their new EP 'Neighbouring Patterns'.

What's in a band name?


(I) don't think there is any particularly great story behind it. I'm pretty sure the other boys (Dean Valentino and David Liistro) had just started doing shows and were thinking of names- Dave suggested it and it just stuck! For us; a lot (on its importance) - our band name is pretty synonymous with who we we have become. We have built a reputation with it and it has built our outlets for connecting with fans via Facebook, twitter, Instagram etc.

Who are The Red Lights?

A healthy dose of 3 piece Indie/Rock, full sound and warm harmonies.

When did you guys start playing music?

We really spent a lot of time honing our debut EP and finding a sound that was just us on a record for 'Not In This Town'. It was raw and in some ways lo-fi. By the time we hit the songwriting stage for the second record we had matured a lot as a band and had gone through some life changes personally. 'Neighbouring Patterns' has our signature sound but there is a lot more substance- there are some songs like our lead single 'Chaperone' that is crisp and has warm harmonies which breaks away from what we have previously written in the past.

Biggest influences?

We have a mutual love for bands like Phoenix & The Kooks- but we have a lot of different other influences too, some of my personal favourites still to this day are bands like Death Cab for Cutie and early 90's rock like Jimmy Eat World. (the optional e loves these band to bits as well.)


What are you guys working on at the moment?

We are just really getting back into some shows after taking a little break to recoup - some ideas are starting to float around for some potential new tunes, looks like we will be booking in some time soon to get back in the writing process!

Any final comments and/or cool stuff?

I do believe David is set to be married (arranged) in Laos early 2014 so it will be nice to fly up and make a speech for that, maybe we can play as his wedding band, hmmm that could be pretty nice.


Thank you so much to The Red Lights for talking with us. Grab a copy of their fabulous new EP 'Neighbouring Patterns' or their fantastic 'Not In This Town' EP. We're so pumped for when these guys (hopefully!)  release a new full length album, and congratulations to David (ladies: AWW).

Check out 'Chaperone', the lead single from 'Neighbouring Patterns' and an optional e fave:

CHANGING OF THE SEASONS - EP.

Two Door Cinema Club's latest EP 'Changing of the Seasons' is, as well as being a poppy party-worthy record, a showcase of a variety of great tunes from the band.

The title song kicks it off with an upbeat feel, combining an electric style with some catchy vocals. As the song progresses, more layers are added above the initial drum + synth show, creating a colourful, danceable tune.

Before you are ready to dismiss the rest of the EP as an electro-pop fantasy, listen to what is up next. 'Crystal' is, in contrast to the high energy of the opening track, a gentle, melodic tune, featuring spacey, textured vocals and a majestic orchestral lineup. Although this feature adds the feel of a fantastical film score, the lyrics are that of a pretty ballad - 'I listen to your words/flowing like hummingbirds all around me'. Aw.

'Golden Veins' is a steady piece of work, referring back to the band's dancy style, while also exuding a stronger, darker character via some fancy vocal jobs and a dynamic melody. A remix of the title track follows, managing to make it even more danceable, if that is even possible.

It seems as though this EP is hinting at something bigger to come from the band, especially considering their use of French DJ Madeon as the producer, which allowed him to inject a danceable feel into the band's sound.

This handful of diverse tunes may signify a new musical direction for the Club, as well as maintaining their light-hearted, poppy sound for the fans to enjoy.