OCEAN ALLEY, AN AUSTRIAN BAND, HAS RELEASED A NEW SINGLE CALLED “DEEPEST DARKNESS” AND HAS PLANNED A TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE SUMMER.
Ocean Alley, Australia’s famed psychedelic surf rockers, have released “Deepest Darkness,” their first new music in 2022. W.A.M Bleakley (Courtney Barnett, DMA’s, Middle Kids) directed the video for the single. The cinematic ad follows a bored mechanic as she seeks out a community that recognizes and shares her “shining attributes,” with scenes filmed with antique Panavision lenses (one of which was used during filming of the original Star Wars movie). This summer, the band will embark on a lengthy tour in the United States. Tickets are currently on sale.
“Deepest Darkness,” which grabs your attention right away with its opening riff, is a love song about how someone can bring out the best in you, even in your darkest moments. From enticing echoing vocals to layered music packed with fuzz and reverb, it has the elements that have long marked Ocean Alley’s psychedelic-leaning style. The band’s latest album cranks up the aggressiveness with each chorus, ratcheting up the crunch and intensity.
“This song is about being so passionately in love with someone and knowing how essential their support can be to you,” Baden Donegal said of the song’s development. that you go through some of life’s most trying and trying situations together, and that your unity makes you so much stronger. It’s from the perspective of imagining how difficult life’s challenges would be if you were on your own, and having a deep appreciation for the help you receive.”
“At conception, the song was incredibly mellow – just based off chords Lach was working on on the keyboard and some words Baden wrote during early COVID,” guitarist Mitch Galbraith explained. As we continued to thicken the chorus, it seemed perfect, so we just went with it, and now it’s extremely engaging and strong. ‘Touch Back Down’ is uplifting and lighthearted, whilst ‘Deepest Darkness’ is heavy and ominous, but we wanted to give fans a taste of the other vibes we’ve been experimenting with while composing new music.”
The band is planning a North American tour this summer, including stops in big cities like New York and Chicago. The gigs will cap off a great year of traveling for the band, who began an Australian tour in February and sold over 35,000 tickets while playing seven sold-out shows across the country. Their recent trips in the United Kingdom and New Zealand each sold over 10,000 tickets, including gigs at London’s legendary Roundhouse and Auckland’s Spark Arena. The Vancouver and Nelson shows in Canada have already sold out. The band added a second date in Vancouver and refurbished venues in Philadelphia to accommodate more fans due to high demand.
Since the release of their Gold-certified breakthrough Chiaroscuro (2018), the six-piece have performed at major festivals including Reading & Leeds (UK), Splendour In The Grass (AUS), and Sziget (HU), debuted at #3 on the ARIA charts for their critically acclaimed 2020 album Lonely Diamond, have received Gold certification on five singles, and have been nominated for five Grammy Awards. Billboard and American Songwriter have both praised the band in the United States. The evolution of Ocean Alley has been fueled by a never-ending desire to push their sound and abilities to new heights. As a staunchly independent band, their work has always been marked by a delightfully laid-back authenticity and relatability, which has led to more than 500 million library streams.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
6/10 – Victoria, BC @ Capital Ballroom,
6/11 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom – SOLD OUT
6/12 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
6/14 – Nelson, BC @ The Hume Hotel – SOLD OUT
6/16 – Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall
6/17 – Red Deer, AB @ Bo’s Bar & Stage
6/18 – Calgary, AB @ The Palace
6/20 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre
6/22 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
6/23 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
6/24 – Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
6/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
6/28 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
6/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts – VENUE UPGRADE
7/1 – New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
7/2 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
7/5 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
7/9 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
7/7 – Ottawa, ON @ RBC Ottawa Bluesfest
7/8 – Quebec City, QC @ Festival d’ete International de Quebec
7/9 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
