UNLIKE most musicians Ocean Alley rhythm guitarist Mitch Galbraith isn't afraid to admit his band felt immense pressure when recording their third album Lonely Diamond.
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And you couldn't blame him.
After the success of their break-through record Chiaroscuro, expectations are high the Sydney northern beaches six-piece will slam dunk the follow-up and take their position among the top echelon of Australian rock bands.
Since the release of Chiaroscuro two years ago Ocean Alley have topped triple j's Hottest 100 with their slinky surf-funk single Confidence, played UK's Reading & Leeds Festivals and notched up 250 million streams.
"How could there not be pressure after the years that we had?," said Galbraith. "On the back of Confidence and Happy Sad, triple j Hottest 100 and all the tours, we did fell pressure, but we knew we had to knuckle down and get to work.
"It was just business as usual for us. It didn't really phase us when it came to the songwriting, but of course, we knew we had to write songs so we got together more than usual."
Ever since the six friends began jamming together in a backyard shed in 2011, Ocean Alley's strength has been their union.
This isn't a band with a central creative force like David Le'aupepe in Gang Of Youths or Stu Mackenzie from King Gizzard & The Wizard Lizard.
The songs have always emerged from lengthy jam sessions, where frank assessments on the individual members' song fragments are met with cutting honesty.
Galbraith said those honesty sessions are possible due to Ocean Alley's close friendships outside of music. Previously the band all lived together in Sydney, but Baden Donegal (vocals, guitar), Lachlan Galbraith (keyboard) and Nic Blom (bass) have since move to Byron Bay together.
"I think it helps the songwriting for sure," Mitch Galbraith said. "You might think you have a really cool idea and then you come to the band and people don't have a problem telling you it's a shit idea.
"I think we all have this great understanding that if we make a decision that's unanimous, we can be assured that it's a good direction to go and a good decision to make because there's six unique viewpoints on that.
"We all understand that's how the process works and that's how we get good results. The arguments we have are never over music, it's always over other stuff.
"Sometimes fists might fly one night, but by morning we just get over it and continue on with our music which is most important to us all."
Lonely Diamond is more nuanced than Chiaroscuro. The funk and reggae influences have been toned down in favour of more atmospheric psych-guitar tones in the vein of Pink Floyd.
It also sees Ocean Alley branching out into different realms of classic rock territory. All Worn Out is almost a piano ballad started by keyboardist Lachlan Galbraith and Stained Glass is steeped in Americana traditions and came about after Donegal taught himself some obscure chords.
"They're very much windows to the individual band members, these songs I think," Mitch Galbraith said.
The album is book ended by instrumentals. The electric blues-inspired Dahlia kicks off proceedings, before lead guitarist and former Warners Bay High student Angus Goodwin shows off his chops on the sepia-soaked surf-rocker, Luna.
During a time when the relevancy of guitar-based music is continually questioned, Ocean Alley are unashamedly lovers of the old six-string.
"That's our bread and butter," Galbraith said. "We consider ourselves a guitar band. Angus is in the living room behind me right now practicing.
"That's how most of the songs get written in the beginning and it's a main focus when it comes to recording, the guitar, and all of the guitar parts."
Anybody that's dived into the Newcastle music scene lately knows the influence of Ocean Alley is prominent.
Bands like Bluetide, Honey Hills and Rum Jungle all borrow from Ocean Alley's book of '70s-inspired surf and psych rock.
"It's something we never thought would be part of our lives," Galbraith said. "People looking up to us for inspiration in their music.
"But if you think about it a bit more that's exactly what we did to bands we were looking up to when we first started. We wanted to be like them and sound like them.
"It's quite understandable and very flattering. That's what music's all about isn't it? Inspiring people and bringing people together."
The COVID-10 pandemic forced Ocean Alley to abandon their Australian and US tours to promote Lonely Diamond this winter. However, the demand remains.
The band's rescheduled show at Sydney's Hodern Pavilion on February 6 is already sold out and a second gig on February 7 is selling strongly. Galbraith said it's all part of Ocean Alley's master plan.
"I would attribute where we are now to that method of going about getting gigs," he said.
"We would play a gig and then the next time we played in that city or town we saw to make our name a little bit bigger.
"That slow progression and positive movement of slowly stepping up is what makes it all manageable."
Lonely Diamond is out on Friday.
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
