Welcome to an introduction to The Ovines. The Kent trio released their self-titled debut EP in November 2019 so we caught up with Matt (vocals, guitar), Sid (bass) and Harley (drums) to see what we can expect in 2020 and to get to know them more personally.
Starting off with the EP, the band hit Anchor Baby Studios with five well-rehearsed tracks which were recorded in record time for the young band that’s just started to make its mark.
“We managed to get the EP down in only two days,” said the band. “It was manic for us as we’d previously only released singles.
“In March 2020, we’re really lucky to be going to The Albion Rooms in Margate, which is home to The Libertines, to record and unheard tune which was written in early 2020. We expect it to come out in Summer 2020.”
The outlook is looking busy this year as The Ovines have wasted no time getting booked in for shows and festivals up and down the country; including their first UK tour.
The band added: “2020 is looking quite busy for the band, we’ll be playing gigs at many new venues and multiple new towns. We’re embarking on our first UK tour in 2020, along with our good mates Tres Kings.
“We’re preparing by buying multiple cases of beer, hitting the road with our manager, and seeing how it goes along the way.”
With clear influences to the Ska and Punk scene like The Specials and The Selecter, then some rock undertones of The Clash and Led Zeppelin, the band are each to their own when it comes to what is ‘The Ovines sound’.
“It definitely varies between each member of the band and we don’t really own our own sound, we seem to steal from various other genre’s and create a unique sound of our own. We’ve been compared to Punk, Ska, Indie and Rock, so you tell us.”
Spotify and other streaming platforms are forever changing and are major players in promoting new artists to hundreds and thousands of potential listeners. For The Ovines, it’s seeing the fanbase grow as a whole.
“Spotify is a great platform from artists large or small, and we’ve been lucky to have a supportive fan base that jumps straight on to our tunes and share them with their mates,” they said. “When we release Fish Tank in 2019, it got over 1,000 streams in two weeks, which set off a chain reaction to give us more followers online, which lead to a bigger fan base for our live show, which is definitely our favourite part of music.
“We all know that’s where the money seems to be in this age of music. It’s not so much about selling records or getting heard, that comes with putting on a banging night.”
Away from music, it’s important for morale to work behind the stage as well and on it, so for the band (any for that matter) is to enjoy each other’s company.
The band said: “We have a little brotherhood in this band and we’re good mates whether we’re gigging or not. Multiple FIFA tournaments are played, beers been had and nights out together.
“There’s nothing more important in a band than the strength of your friendship. We’re mates who play music together, which makes every new turn in the road that more exciting because we’re all experiencing it together for the first time.”
Whilst watching the trio drink plenty of beer, they plan to hit as many different venues as they can this year and head to The Albion Rooms for the upcoming single, and The Ovines confirm they are recording a brand new EP full of new unheard music.
UPCOMING SHOWS
May
1st – Maidstone Fringe Festival
23rd – Nice N Sleazy, Glasgow
24th – The Mulberry Bar and Venue, Sheffield
25th – The Peer Hat, Manchester
26th – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds
27th – Firebug, Leicester
28th – The Mother’s Ruin, Bristol
29th – The Monarch, London
30th – Poco Loco, Chatham
31st – The Brunswick Live, Brighton
An Introduction to… is a new interview series which puts the undiscovered centre stage. If you would like to be featured email getintouch [at] indiecentralmusic.com with ‘An introduction to’ and the name of your band in the subject headline to be considered for a feature.
