Barn on the Farm, Band of the Festival- OUTLYA
Our love for OUTLYA has become clear over the years. We first saw the band a few years ago and have been hooked ever sense. As an unapologetic member of their fan club we are always excited to see them pop up on festival line-ups and couldn’t wait to catch up with the band when their Friday slot was announced at Barn on the Farm. At Barn on the Farm, OUTLYA’s set was a piece of transcendent brilliance moving them to take home our Favourite Band of the Festival. We caught up with the lads during the weekend, chatting all things music and life.
It has been a year of transition for OUTLYA, like any evolution the moments of discomfort have birthed a new spirit that is excitably filled with possibilities. OUTLYA told me that an exodus of sorts has marked this year; they “left everything. Since then we took a little time off. We have done different things, writing for other people, making new videos. We have done DJ sets, a special audiovisual piece, some live film scoring. We have been diversifying in exciting ways.” After leaving their label and management OUTLYA embarked on new ventures, stretching their artistic talents in differing ways.
But fans need not worry, OUTLYA may be exploring a wide array of projects but they haven’t dropped out from their musical creations. In many ways these new ventures are merely a part of the new, free OUTLYA. A refreshing rebirth for the band that clearly gets them excited about the future, the light behind their eyes is bright with excitement and their smiles are massive as they discuss the year ahead.
The band is “now an open state. OUTLYA is the centre of all the fun things we’ve been doing and we’ve enjoyed the flexibility of what we can do with the band.” This flexibility seems to be anchored by one word, collaboration. The lads tell me that they always dreamed OUTLYA would be a sort of collaboration spearheaded effort, something evident during their BOTF set. “We wanted to come back this year and do something different, to rethink our set and our songs. Traditionally we’ve done tracks but this year was fully live. We asked a bunch of our friends and had this big band on stage.”
With a few additions from band The Tin Pigeons and other friends, OUTLYA’s set was bombastically brilliant, a sort of unstoppable force that capitulated their Barn on the Farm set to another level. Their set list included a few favourites, like ‘Volcano,’ and a few new tunes. The well-loved tracks had a new life, with swirling sound they were monstrous in scale but intimate in lyrical content. The new tunes were perfect displays of the sonic evolution that will hopefully be coming; a syncopated layered concoction that was energetic but vulnerable, reaching deep into our hearts while propelling our feet to dance.
OUTLYA’s set was a reflection of their future, the collaborative style and anthemic songs representations of the “natural conclusion of what we want OUTLYA to be.” Over the scary hurdle of leaving the familiar OUTLYA has seemingly come into their own as a band, and the confidence is apparent. Dripping in authentic creativity their future is bright, an exciting glimpse into their long career.
So what is ahead for OUTLYA? The guys told me that they have more music coming soon! Along with that there is some promise for future releases, “we’ve been sitting on stuff that we want to get out, some big epic songs and some love songs.” And it is not just music, OUTLYA promises a few shows to close out the year as well as a few other projects.
It is an exciting time to be an OUTLYA fan. Their Barn on the Farm set was another electric performance, a clear reason why they are our Band of the Festival, and their future promises for some radical masterpieces! On the precipice of moment, OUTLYA is poised for some big things. With unbridled talent and passion OUTLYA continue to create beautiful pieces of art, musical expressions of life intermixing with all their other projects, a creative force that will no doubt be creating waves for years to come.
Crashing our chat was The Tin Pigeons! The brothers have toured with OUTLYA, in fact we caught them at Sunflower Lounge not too long ago, and joined them on stage to add to the musical flavour. We figured we would add a little plug in for them, our readers getting a two for one deal this time around!
Like OUTLYA, Tin Pigeons have been in a time of transition. After 100+ shows in 2018 the guys are back in the studio, with some “singles on the burner.” A tour in November will be the perfect time for you to catch them live!
Interview and Photos: Kylie McCormick