ChitChat - With Merry Kirk-Holmes from To Octavia
INTERVIEW BY: BEN LAMB
BEN:
So we're here today to have a chat about you know, upcoming EP. How's it all feeling now that the date comes closer and closer? I imagine a lot of excitement.
MERRY:
Yeah, it's super exciting! It's been like, a year in the making.
BEN:
Did last year’s restrictions and lockdown’s impact it at all? I imagine it would have would have been a bit harder for you.
MERRY:
Yeah it did for sure. We had this tour booked with alt from Adelaide and then nurture from Sydney, and that all got cancelled because of COVID.
Then with recording the EP, we could only go in at one at a time, because of the restrictions in Melbourne. So it took ages. And yeah it was pretty painful. But we're super happy with how it turned out. So I guess it was all worth it in the end!
BEN:
Wow, I imagine that would have been quite difficult one at a time. What was that like?
MERRY:
We would have one of us in the studio with our producer, and then the rest of us would be all in a zoom call. So we could watch what was all happening and, and give our own input and stuff like that. But yeah, it just took a lot longer than we initially thought it would.
BEN:
Putting the COVID lockdowns and restrictions aside for a sec, I know To Octavia’s still new in the industry, but with recording and writing, did you kind of change the processes up a bit, or you kind of stick to what you know and what you feel comfortable with?
MERRY:
I think we did try and make like a new a new sound. With the EP we wanted to blend a lot more different genres then trying to stick to like the metalcore sort of formula. So we were all a bit more experimental with the risks that we had, and my singing, what I would do is take a lot more influence from alternative rock and even more pop stuff, and even a lot more electronic elements. We just wanted to experiment a lot more, but also keep it digestible, since it's the only second release.
BEN:
Yeah, you can definitely hear this kind of different sound, did you go in with the intent to create something a little different? Or did that happen during recording?
MERRY:
Yeah, that came with its own difficulties. I mean we still think we have a lot more to develop before we’re like super set on a on a sound. But yeah, we were just sort of coming up with something that everyone liked, because we all have like super different influences and what everyone likes and it we made sure it wasn't too generic or anything like that.
Yeah, it was kind of hard, but we’re all really proud of how it turned out anyway.
BEN:
Yeah, absolutely. I’d love to get an idea of what kind of dynamics of the group? Do you each bring something different to the recording and writing table?
MERRY:
Well, it definitely starts off with either Molly or Justin, (the guitarists), who will come in with a riff idea, and a skeleton of a whole track. Then we work with our producer and do pre-production. And he’ll make these awesome electronic elements. Then like it's all of us together, and I’ll come up with new sections and, and all of that. It's really like everyone is really involved in the writing process. Which is really cool. And then like Lucas will go off and he'll write all his drum beats. And then I'll come in and write all my vocals. And yeah, I guess it's just really fun actually like working with everyone rather than someone who's coming in with a song and then we just record that.
BEN:
It seems like you've got a lot of chemistry and cohesiveness, do you kind of feel like that it’s then transported to the stage? And makes things feel a little easier?
MERRY:
Yeah, I think so. Especially because Molly, Lucas and Justin have been playing together since high school. So I guess their chemistry together is super solid, they're like, really tight. Then when I joined the band a couple years ago, I just, I don't know, I kind of I picked up on that. Like, it was really easy to sort of blend in with their, with their chemistry and bring my own things to the table.
BEN:
Yeah, absolutely. And then, as you mentioned, in terms of the production side, you brought in Chris from Windwaker. What does he bring to the table? I imagine you work well with him.
MERRY:
Yeah, for sure. I mean, when we bring him out demos, he's like, super, like, hyper critical. Not in a bad way, it's always constructive criticism, he’ll bring out like the best bits of the song, and then we'll have to sort of redo it, and make every part of it as good or better than the best part of each demo, if you know what I mean. So he really pushes you to bring your 100% into every single second of the track. Which is amazing to work with.
BEN:
Yeah, I think you touched on it before, but do you feel this is what has given this EP that kind of distinctive flair?
MERRY:
Yeah, I think so. Especially because we, when we were talking to Chris, about where we wanted to go more of like a new, like that new wave of, of really old rock influenced heavy music with like, bringing you the horizon and like the more pop stuff like Issues, and he was super on board with that. So ge had like the same kind of vision. He saw our vision of where we wanted to go and just knew. Like, what to do in terms of pushing us to realize that that vision, I guess.
BEN:
Yeah, absolutely. So now when you get this EP out there and into the ears of fans, what do you kind of hope that listeners get out of the album?
MERRY:
Well, I really hope that people can see it for like, what it is, in terms of trying to establish a new form. But the whole thing is sort Metalcore, which is kind of dominating, and that’s cool. People like all of that and like the heavy music because I think it is quite familiar more than and when then try and break out of that. I just hope that people I guess like it Yeah, for what it is, trying to push ourselves in a new direction.
BEN:
Something’s that come up a number of times is the awesome comradery and community in the Metal scene in Melbourne and broader Australia, how much do you feel this is the case?
MERRY:
Yeah, for sure! I mean I've seen it a lot in Melbourne. The heavy scene is really supportive of each other.
There's so many awesome bands in Melbourne, like you could just throw a pen at a calendar, and there'll be some sort of heavy show or night or something happening in Melbourne and everyone kind of knows each other. Everyone's all friends. There's no like, real drama or anything like that. And, yeah, just, I think that produces like, awesome bands. Like if they've got that support from the local scene, you know, they'll, they'll keep going, they'll keep pushing themselves. And yeah, I think that that's awesome, we’re really lucky. Yeah.
BEN:
Yeah, we’ve got a massive live music scene here in Melbourne, and you got an awesome show with Cherry Bar coming up. I imagine that's just a bunch of excitement. How pumped are you for that?
MERRY:
Yeah, so awesome. Like, like I said before about how like COVID cancelled our shows. We were supposed to do our first headline back in, in April last year. And so it's been like a long time coming with finally been able to, to, like, walk into our official first headline. And it it's sold out in like, a couple weeks, which is ridiculous. We're like, super pumped. That’s gonna be great.
BEN:
For any new fans out there, how do you kind of sum up To Octavia in a couple of sentences?
MERRY:
Okay. I think To Octavia, we want to I guess the goal is to bring a lot of a lot of different sort of genres and themes together like the rock, emo, pop, and metal. I guess create a community where we can all be anything that we want.
BEN:
What’s down the road for you? Heading back out on the road back on back in the studio? anything you're able to share with us?
MERRY:
Well we're thinking about a tour, perhaps off the EP, but it's nothing written in stone yet. But we're hoping, we're hoping!
BEN:
Well thanks for today, we're looking forward to the EP and I'm sure everyone will everyone love it!.
MERRY:
Thank you so much! Awesome, good to talk to you.
