Ocean Grove are finding their feet for album number two
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Ocean Grove are finding their feet for album number two

The last time Forte caught up with Ocean Grove, we found out writing for their highly anticipated sophomore release had begun. With the lads now coming off the bat of sell-out shows both internationally and within Australia (as well as the recent announcement of a headliner Geelong show), we figured now would be the perfect time to touch base.
Speaking with the group’s bassist, clean vocalist and all-round legend Dale Tanner, we found out some more clues as to what fans can expect.
“It’s definitely progressed in a demo sense to being around the 70-80 per cent finished. We have a lot more material, which puts us in a much better position, even if we are comparing it to writing ‘The Rhapsody Tapes’,” Tanner explains. “We had never done a full-length album before that so we were really still finding our feet and figuring out how to work and write together, and there were definitely areas where it could have been done a bit smoother. This time around it’s been progressing well but we have really been taking our time, which has been great.”
With 2017 being the biggest year yet for Ocean Grove and seeing them tour vigorously, it’s no surprise that they have been taking the time to decide what’s next.
“What I’ve found is; it’s not as simple as just switching the creative light on,” says Tanner. “Sometimes it is important to make sure that other areas in your life are sorted first and that you’re grounded before you can channel energy into a creative output.
“We have gone away and experienced all these different countries and it’s been a shock to the body, both mentally and physically, to come back and get that aftermath lull where you realise that you actually have a life back home. For me, it’s been an interesting couple of months finding my feet and knowing what my next steps are in life, and to find that balance and take the energy and put it into a creative sense, which at times has been hard.”
But, what can fans expect from OG’s new music? With ‘The Rhapsody Tapes’ incorporating a hybrid of sounds under the self-made genre of the ‘Odd-World’, album number two could realistically go anywhere from here (and that’s what makes it so bloody exciting.)
Shedding a bit of light Tanner explained, “I guess we are starting to touch on a lot more 70’s and 80’s type soundscapes, especially in terms of the electronic side of things and a lot more industrial and fun and almost…how do I put it… not to come off as sleazy or anything, but we wanted to inject a little bit of sexiness into our music. I feel like that’s something that’s not done tastefully a lot of the time but I feel it can be done really well. It’s a really hard question to answer but that’s what springs to mind after our most recent writing session. It’s a mixed bag and I don’t even know how it’s going to turn out, but I do know there is going to be a whole lot of new flavours.”
To see Ocean Grove and hopefully catch a glimpse of some of their new “flavours” head down to the Workers Club on July 14. You won’t want to miss this one.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Written by Alex Callan