From Iceland — WORLD PREMIERE: A FANCY NEW OYAMA TRACK!

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Sigríður Ella Frímannsdóttir

Coolboy’s first single is out

The hepcats of Oyama are all set to unleash their monster of a début album, Coolboy, which will be released in Iceland via 12 Tónar on November third (those fortunate enough to live in Japan can get it in less than a week, via Imperial Records). After giving the thing a couple of spins, we can verify: Coolboy is a good album. Great, even. Lucky you, then, that Oyama would opt to premiere its first single, Siblings via the very website you are reading. In this very story you are reading! Yes, check it out, here’s Siblings:

Now, that there’s a pretty great, fuzzy, early-‘90s Pale Saints and (Smeared-era) Sloan referencing track right there. One of those songs that somehow manages to dress up oodles of raw, melodic power and human frustration in shiny, sensual whispers, so that it becomes all pleasant-like to listen to.

Anyway, the Pétur Ben produced album will be out soon enough, and if you like this, you’ll love that (pre-order it through their BandCamp here). And of course, you’ll be able to catch them at Airwaves (and in Japan, in November, if you are fortunate enough to live there).

To celebrate this premiere, we sent the band some random questions, just for the fuck of it. The venerable Úlfur (he is the blondest one) responded thusly:

What can you tell us about the new single?
It’s one of our newest songs, an exploration of new sounds and elements. It’s probably the least “shoegaze” song we’ve done so far.

It’s called “Siblings”? Why? Is it about siblings?
I dunno. I think it’s about relationships eventually making people act like siblings. Like, they’re stuck with each other, whether they like it or not, good or bad.

When/where/how did you record ‘Coolboy’?
We started recording in March and stopped recording in September. We recorded bass and drums (and some guitars and mellotron) in Sundlaugin, but most of everything else in Kári’s studio, Studio Eitt. Pétur Ben produced the album, and we recorded some stuff at his studio also. It was so nice to have him with us; he offered a unique viewpoint of our new songs, that we hadn’t considered, and helped us explore the tracks to their fullest potential. Which was PRETTY nice!

Do you get much radio play in Iceland? How can a band of your stature and genre best reach an audience in your home country?
We don’t get a lot of radio play… yet. Maybe the new songs are more radio-friendly than our old ones? Who knows? I have never understood why the songs that get played a lot on the radio are the ones that get popular, it seems really random to me.

Has this tune been a feature of your live set for long?
No, not really, since Christmas I think. And it has never been played live in the form that it took in the recording process.

How many guitar tracks are on it?
54 (no joke)

Who’s your favourite Beatle?
George McCartney.

Who’s your favourite MP at Alþingi?
(no comment)

What’s in your pockets (IN ICELAND, THIS COUNTS AS ‘MUSIC JOURNALISM’)?
A ten krónur coin, a guitar pick, that plastic thing you put on those plastic bread bags to keep the freshness sealed in, and a hole that I often forget is there. Sometimes, I’ll put things in the pocket that has said hole, making them fall right through it, onto the floor. It always makes me really surprised, like I always think: “Wait!? What!? HOW did this possibly happen?!?!” and then I remember and feel a bit stupid. But also whimsical about the fact that I forgot… AGAIN!

Which band do you look forward to seeing at Airwaves?
I’ve dreamt of seeing The Knife play since like FOREVER, but I’ve never had the chance to see them. So, I’m really looking forward to catching their show. I know, The Knife, typical answer. But, like, I dunno, SO SUE ME. Right?

You can catch Oyama tonight at Húrra.

And at Gaukurinn on Friday, November 7 at 21:40 during Iceland Airwaves. Check out the Airwaves schedule here.

And at their release concert, on November 13 !

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