Oscar The Wild On New Single ‘Unafraid’
Recently announced on the BIGSOUND lineup for 2023, Kaurna/Adelaide indie grunge quartet Oscar The Wild have unveiled their bold new single Unafraid, which had its world premiere on triple J. Following the success of Pinch Me Please, which saw the band celebrated as a triple j Unearthed Feature Artist as well as earning them a spot playing Vintage Vibes Festival, Oscar The Wild are back with an unflinching track inspired by the fear of existentialism.
Produced and mixed by Rhys Williams and mastered by Steve Smart, Unafraid is a hit of alt-punk nostalgia, driven by instinctive vocal melodies that explore the ebbs and flows of finding meaning in a sometimes meaningless world. Boasting driven guitars, fast rhythms, delicate harmonies, long wailing notes, short spoken colloquialisms and the occasional sax solo, Oscar The Wild are equally inspired by moments of profound thinking and beautiful chaos, creating experiences that come alive on the stage. Ruby, Nic, Gem and Ariya drop by to answer some questions about the single.
Tell us about your latest single Unafraid?
Ruby: Unafraid is a bit of a patchwork song. From up-beat surf rock to a heavy grunge breakdown, this song is a goddamn lolly store with every flavour you could want. The track has many Oscar consistent elements, like punchy guitars, vocals with wide melodic range and drums that’ll keep you head banging throughout. But this song was unusual in the sense that, when writing, it truly came from no-where, no influences or intentions. Unafraid would suit rock listeners with a short attention span who struggle to pick a song.
Speaking of being unafraid, do you have any fears or phobias?
Nic: I wouldn’t say it’s a fear per se but I hate bats. The way they hang from the trees and seeing heaps of bats flying just creeps me out. (Ruby: As a child Nic saw, as she described, hundreds of bats hanging from a powerline outside the place she was staying. I think she’s been scarred).
Ariya: I have a huge fear of heights, even seeing other people at large heights or videos of people climbing things make my knees and feet tingly. I also am so afraid of planes haha (which doesn’t help when we have to tour).
Gem: I have a massive phobia of getting my hands/arms wet if I’m not expecting it……ie: when I’m washing my face and the water drips down my arm to my elbow EW absolutely not.
Ruby: I’ll happily jump off a plane, hold a scorpion or go deep sea diving, but ghosts can fuck right off. I’ve always been innately terrified of the unseen, things that go bump in the night.
What’s your creative process like / can you share any behind-the-scenes insights into the songwriting process for Unafraid?
Nic: usually our songwriting process, and especially for Unafraid, is that Ruby will come to us with a basic backbone for the song (chords + lyrics and some parts) and then the rest of us come in with our individual influences and finish writing specific parts, which shape the song to what you get to hear!
Ruby: I was recommended to write a kind of mantra or speech to self-soothe during anxiety spells, but when it came down to it, I could never remember the words. I thought of putting a melody to it, purely just so it can stick in my mind. It then turned into a song about all the things I want to be; I want to be fearless of the chaos of life, I want to let go of some of the mistakes I’ve made, I want to be unafraid. The final breakdown is perhaps a more accurate glimpse of where my head actually is. Then I wrote the guitar and bass parts and sent it through to the band and Ariya did a wonderful job on the drums and backing vocals.
Our first rehearsal of Unafraid is one that will forever stick in my memory. All the studios in the CBD were booked out, apart from a random music store that neighbours the rubble pit that used to be my first rental shithole. The store was an old house built in the 19th century. It was creepy as hell. As mentioned above, being possessed is my least favourite pastime, but we pushed through and finalised Unafraid. I hope the spirits enjoyed it.
Were there any specific musical influences or artists that inspired this song?
Nic: I feel like parts of the song have a kind of surf-rock vibe, we’re also inspired largely by The Beths, and especially for me, I was drawing from a Pixies influence for the bridge at the end of the song.
Ariya: I completely agree with Nic, a lot of the Beths and Pixies peeking into this one. Is there a particular moment or lyric in ‘Unafraid’ that you find especially powerful or meaningful?
Nic: I am always moved by the end of the song and now it gradually builds to this big emotional climax. I absolutely love playing it and being able to let out the emotion that you can tell is building throughout the song.
Ariya: I love the build of the ending and how it turns into this huge outcry, Ruby’s lead vocals are so emotive and powerful – sounds weird but I still get goosebumps when I listen to it.
Ruby: I like the start of the song the best. The lyrics “I’m lying awake reviewing mistakes, of my past self and those I might make, cause I’ve fucked up before and I’ll fuck up again. It’s all meaningless, you just need to survive, find what feeds you and get high, cause in the end we’re all gonna die.” just calms me down like nothing else. The reminder of my mortality, the insignificance of it and of my life in general is so comforting. I sing this verse to myself most nights.
Tell us about your upcoming single launch show!
Nic: We’ve decided to go smaller and more intimate for our launch this time as opposed to our last launch! We’re also playing with bands we absolutely love and have been friends with for years now so it’ll be a very wholesome night! Ariya: We haven’t played a headline show at The Crown and Anchor in so long, it’s my favourite dive bar in Adelaide, I am so excited to play a little intimate show with all of our friends!
Ruby: Can’t go wrong with a Cranker show. What is your favourite aspect of the Adelaide/Kaurna music scene?
Nic: I just love how supportive everyone is! It really is a lovely community to be a part of and I’m so glad we have made so many friends through being a part of the scene.
Ariya: It’s a very supportive community for sure, between fans and other bands – everyone is so encouraging of each other’s art and coming to each other’s shows, it’s so nice to see. We have made so many beautiful connections and friends within the Adelaide scene.
What is your favourite song to play live?
Nic: My favourite songs to play live are a toss up between Kiss Me Aphrodite and Unafraid. They’re a great opportunity to let loose and have a heap of fun!
Gem: My favourite song to play would 100% be Skin, its’ smooth jazzy feel is definitely my preferred vibe!
Ariya: This is such a hard question, I think it’s between Kiss Me Aphrodite (because this one is the one that us and the crowd go absolutely bonkers in) or one of our unreleased songs She’ll Be Right – a super fun/ jumpy song with plenty of audience participation.
Ruby: She’ll Be Right is a great song to play live, I usually ask for a bit of audience participation to yell “she’ll be right” in the voice of a middle-aged man.
How do you prepare yourself mentally and emotionally before performing?
Nic: For me it doesn’t take a lot of mental and emotional preparation beforehand because I’m usually just excited to play, but in order to feel truly ready, I just need to make sure that everyone is where they need to be on time!
Gem: Much like Nic, I don’t need a lot of mental or emotional prep, but I am usually texting Nic a few hours beforehand asking where I need to be and when because I have shocking organisational skills.
Ariya: I need a few hours to prepare mentally, I still get super nervous for shows but also get overly excited to play. When I am at the venue I have to let out some of that nervous energy (dancing, running around, helping everyone set up). Then Ruby and I do some vocal warm ups together to get ourselves mentally and physically ready with some chill out time. I also have to admit I need a little liquid courage just before the set.
Ruby: Unlike Nic & Gem, very much like Ariya, I get extremely nervous for all shows, (that weirdly vanishes the moment I step on stage). I ritualistically have to rehearse the set a couple hours before playing, I drink no more than two beers, and spend time hiding in green rooms / instrument storage areas / toilet cubicles.
How do you feel about your upcoming appearance at BIGSOUND?
Nic: I’m so excited for BIGSOUND! I’m still pinching myself that we were chosen to showcase amongst the absolutely incredible lineup, it still doesn’t feel real and probably won’t until we’re on the plane there!
Gem: SUPER excited to go to BIGSOUND! It’s a massive achievement for us and definitely something we are very very proud of!
Ariya: I went to BIGSOUND last year as a delegate and I had THE BEST time – I love Brisbane and BIGSOUND is such an awesome event. You can imagine I SCREAMED when we were announced on the lineup – I am so excited and honoured to be a part of it.
Ruby: I couldn’t believe we got accepted to be honest with you, I’m just so excited to run around watching bands in one of Australia’s coolest cities!
Which artists are you most excited to see at BIGSOUND?
Nic: Oh so many artists! It’ll be cool to see artists from other states that we’ve never seen before but at the same time it’ll be nice to reunite with old friends like RAAVE Tapes, Bec Stevens, Tamara & The Dreams and Aleksiah!
Ariya: I am so excited to see Platonic Sex, Gut Health, Moaning Lisa, Zheani, and then there’s also so many of our friends including Bec Stevens, RAAVE Tapes, Aleksiah, Tamara and the Dreams, Suzi, The Empty Threats, Twine, Coldwave, there’s just too many to name!!
Ruby: I have been LOVING Gut Health and Tamara and the Dreams this year, so super excited to see them. I almost cried seeing Porpoise Spit on the line up, they are such a unique band with hilarious and poignant songs that have been the soundtrack of many pre-loading sessions. I’m also really keen to dance to Pricie, they have the grooviest music and style. And like Nic and Ariya said, you can never go wrong with some RAAVE Tapes or Empty Threats.
Can we expect any new music in the near future?
Nic: Yet to be announced formally but perhaps there is new music on the horizon! Watch this space! Ruby: Yeah you can baby!
Interview By Philippa Arrowsmith
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