Australia’s beloved psychedelic-surf-rockers Ocean Alley have released a new single “Deepest Darkness,” their first new music of 2022. The track is accompanied by a video directed by W.A.M Bleakley (Courtney Barnett, DMA's, Middle Kids). The cinematic video tells the story of a bored mechanic finding a community that understands her and shares her “shining qualities;” it includes scenes shot with vintage Panavision lenses (one of which was used during filming of the original Star Wars movie). The band has plans for an extensive US tour this summer. Tickets are available now.
Watch the official “Deepest Darkness” video
Commanding attention from its opening riff, “Deepest Darkness” is a love song about how someone can bring the best out of you, even in your darkest moments. It features the hallmarks that have long-defined Ocean Alley’s psychedelic-leaning sound — from intoxicating echoing vocals to layered instrumentation, laden with fuzz and reverb. The band’s latest effort dials up the ferocity across each chorus, continually increasing the crunch and intensity.
Reflecting on its creation, frontman Baden Donegal shared “This song is about being so deeply in love with someone and realising how important their support can be to you… that you literally go through the deepest and darkest times together, and that unity makes you so much stronger. It’s from the perspective of imagining what it would feel like to go through life’s tough spots on your own, and having a huge appreciation for the support you receive.”
Guitarist Mitch Galbraith added, “At conception, the song was super chilled - just based off chords Lach was working at on the keyboard and some lyrics Baden wrote during early COVID. It felt right as we kept adding thickness to the chorus, so we just went with it, and now it’s really captivating and powerful. It’s obviously a very different feeling to ‘Touch Back Down’ which is uplifting and playful, whereas ’Deepest Darkness' has a heavy mysteriousness to it, but we consciously wanted to give listeners a taste of the other vibes we’ve been experimenting with while writing new music.”
The band has plans to cross the pond this summer for a North American tour, hitting major cities including New York and Chicago. The dates will close out a huge year of touring for the beloved six-piece, which embarked on an Australian tour in February, selling more than 35,000 tickets and clocking up 7 sold out shows around the country. Their recent stops in the UK and New Zealand sold more than 10,000 tickets each, including shows at the iconic Roundhouse in London and Spark Arena in Auckland. Canadian dates in Vancouver and Nelson have already sold out. Due to overwhelming demand, the band added a second dace in Vancouver and upgraded venues in Philadelphia to make room for more fans.
Since the release of their Gold-certified breakthrough Chiaroscuro (2018) which saw the band take the #1 spot in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2018 for their double platinum smash ‘Confidence’, the six-piece have performed 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 been nominated for 2 ARIA Awards. Stateside, the band has received praise from Billboard and American Songwriter. Ocean Alley’s evolution has been driven by an endless pursuit to push their sound and abilities to new limits. Operating as a proudly independent band, their output has always been underscored by a refreshingly chilled authenticity and relatability that has seen them achieve more than 500 million catalog 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
