Former Charlottesville, Virginia musician Jeff Doyle moved to Brooklyn in 2010 and emeshed himself in the Williamsburg DIY night clubs that once dotted the neighborhood before the yuppies took over. Doyle sought to discover new sounds and really think about where he was going musically after disbanding his group Pompadour back in Charlottesville. Flash forward to 2013 and Doyle found some like-minded musical spirits in drummer Christopher Burns and guitarist Sam Ghitelman and they began developing new songs as well as reimagining some of Doyle’s old material and named the project OxenFree. Completing their lineup with bassist Sean Padden and vocalist Emily Olson, the group began releasing EPs and singles and now plan to release their debut album in May.
“Captain”, the song we’re premiering today, shows off their alt-pop sound. Underpinned by piano, the tune quickly adds guitars and a catchy background chorus, creating a memorable jaggy pop tune. The band tells us that the song is “about a bad night out. It’s about going into the city with high expectations and having them dashed halfway through, but then you just keep trying and trying until everyone else has gone home and you’re too tired to keep going — an homage to searching for meaning in all the wrong places.”
OxenFree‘s debut album, Beacons, releases May 12th via Sneaky Bear Records.
TOUR DATES
March 9: The Gateway (Brooklyn, NY)
March 12: Savannah Stopover (Savannah, GA)
March 14: The Woodshop (Baton Rouge, LA)*
March 15: Saturn (New Orleans, LA)*
March 16-17: TBD/SXSW (Austin, TX)
March 18: Valentino’s Pizzeria, South by San Marcos (San Marcos, TX)*
March 19: SXSW Adelbert’s Brewery (Austin, TX)*
March 20: First Pastafarian Church (Norman, OK)*
March 21: Pizza D’s (Little Rock, AR)*
March 22: Hi Tone (Memphis, TN)*
March 23: Betty’s Grill (Nashville, TN)*
March 24: House Show (Blacksburg, VA)*
March 25: New Brookland Tavern (Columbia, SC)*
March 26: Slims (Raleigh, NC)*
April 8: Twisted Shamrock (Babylon, NY)
April 9: House Show (New Paltz, NY)
May 13: The Gutter (Brooklyn, NY)**
*with Say Brother
**with MPHO, Lame Drivers
TRACK LIST
01. Fine Dining
02. Lucky
03. Make Out
04. Foxes
05. Everybody Knows
06. Captain
07. Believers
08. Carousels (Part I)
09. Kids
10. Run for the Night
11. Carousels (Part II)