Under the Blue Moon with Oblivia Jean

Oblivia Jean have been quietly making a name for themselves around Adelaide's live music scene.

Inspired by the likes of Julia Jacklin and Alice Phoebe Lou, Oblivia Jean's music weaves intimate and relatable lyrics through indie, psych-rock and soul soundscapes, with the quartet already gaining a reputation for their live performances.

As the band prepares for the release of their debut single 'Blue Moon', an eight-and-a-half-minute odyssey of swirling guitars and vocalist Jade Iannella's silky delivery, Oblivia Jean spoke with The Note about their influences, performing live and their debut single, which they are launching at the Ed Castle on Saturday 5 September.

For readers discovering Oblivia Jean for the first time, how would you describe the band and the sound you're creating?

For people that have never heard of us before, the main thing you should know is we write from a very vulnerable but grounded place. The sound that's being formed is quite eclectic and we would hate to put ourselves in this box that artists and creatives often do, but if we had to narrow it down, it’s definitely a folky, psychedelic rock sound, mixed with indie and alternative narratives too.

Tell us a little about each member of the band and their history in the local scene?

The band consists of Jade (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Shaun Vale (lead guitar, backing vocals), Lucas Edkins (bass) and Luke Swann (drums).

The new addition, Lucas, has fitted into our creative process so quickly and the group in general. He is also in the King Jeff and the How Are You's rocking out, so coming into OJ was admittedly a change.

Luke Swann has been in many amazing projects, and his drumming has taken him on tour internationally, although where it all started was with Jade in their first band together, but they never made it out of the uni basement.

Shaun Vale had his band Paper Snorkel a while back and also [is in] a band called Shiloh Hills.

Jade has done various solo and duo projects. She also made guest appearances in other local Adelaide bands.

How did Oblivia Jean come together, and what was it about the combination of the four of you that made the band click?

The formation of Oblivia Jean was definitely not an easy one at first. For an entire year, before new people joined the band, we were stuck in the rehearsal rooms. New people brought a new energy, and there was a moment when everything clicked a few months ago, and it’s been amazing since; it really feels like a family. I think we're all like-minded enough to get along really well but also understand the importance of calling out when things don’t feel right and not being scared to offend each other because we all know it’s in each other's best interest.

What artists, records or musical influences have shaped the sound of Oblivia Jean, and are there any unexpected influences people might not pick up on?

I’m not sure if they are entirely unexpected; we definitely have a distinct sound, although eclectic, but some main influences are Julia Jacklin and Ora Cogan, which almost link into Shaun’s influences, which are quite folky and bluesy (Townes Van Zandt and Steve Ray Vaughn) and include a lot of storytelling.

We all love the mysterious, more folk sound those influences bring while also sometimes leaning into the more psychedelic rock side of things, which comes mostly from '70s rock, blues, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, while also taking from the likes of world and Afrobeat, country and soul artists.

Bands in the local scene, such as Workhorse, have also been a great influence.

There’s a strong and diverse music community in Adelaide. How has the city and its music scene influenced the band?

I think what's prevalent is how close the community is and how supportive it is, so we definitely feel more welcomed and encouraged to create the music we truly want to without feeling any type of judgement. I think the Adelaide music scene has influenced us less with the way we write our songs and more with how we feel 100 per cent free to be ourselves without the fear of how we'll be perceived, because of how supportive the scene is. It’s definitely underrated.

As a new band, what have you learned about yourselves through your first few shows and experiences playing live?

There were definitely some learning curves for all of us, and I'm sure we’ve still got plenty to learn, but I think we’ve all found to learn how to be present in the moment, no matter what happens. If things break or something goes wrong with sound, we've learnt how to stay calm and work with what we’ve got, but when nothing "goes wrong" we still have learnt how to stay present on stage and just enjoy the moment.

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Oblivia Jean has received rave reviews from the few live shows you’ve performed. What is it about playing live that gets the juices flowing?

We definitely feed off of each other's energy on stage. As mentioned before, beginning the band with some different folks, Jade could tell how greatly every member of the band being centred in their role was important, because it can easily bring down the whole energy instantly, and the audience can tell. Honestly, we get along really well off stage, so I think that translates well. Because we all connect to our songs so personally, it usually doesn’t take much effort to become emotionally lifted and/or connected when on stage to create this energy too.

Takes us inside the songwriting process. Where do the ideas usually begin? Is it a collaborative process within the band?

In the very beginning, I (Jade) knew that before collaborating with the band on writing, we had to just start playing. I brought a lot of my own songs, some new, some older and pitched them to the band, and they really connected with them. So we decided to focus on them first.

Not long after practising them, it became natural for us to jam and begin writing together as a band. Mainly Shaun and Jade have been writing collaboratively, as they were also jamming before the new formation of members. We understand each other quite well and where we're going while writing, while also bringing a contrast that still sits in the same pocket. Some songs almost write themselves, while others are a longer process while still being enjoyable to do.

Oblivia Jean are about to drop your debut single, 'Blue Moon'. At over eight minutes long, it's an ambitious first release. How did the song come about and why did you choose it as your first single?

We're super excited to release our first single. For a while, we were planning for it to be one of our other songs, 'Wanderlust', because it's what we had always pictured and is arguably more of a "single-sounding" song. At the same time, it felt a little too predictable for us, and we wanted to do something that stands out for our sake, but also hopefully to surprise some listeners.

'Blue Moon' was one of the first songs brought to the band, written by Jade, although it did have a little workshopping with the band where it was comprised of two different breakdowns. Besides the fact that it's over eight minutes long, it really does feel like a true representation of the band for all of us, and we all individually connect to it really well.

What has been the biggest challenge of establishing a new band, and what has surprised you most about the journey so far?

The biggest challenge for us, I think, has been in the establishing process of making sure the right people are involved. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but it really is that important. The thing that has surprised us so far has been all the amazing support, even in the very beginning when we barely did any shows. I think that just demonstrates that if you put your energy into something, people will be able to see that, regardless of how new you are to it.

If you could put Oblivia Jean on a bill with any three artists — living or dead — who would they be and why?

This is a massive question, but if we had to narrow it down, it would collectively be Ora Cogan, Sade and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

You’re still at the beginning of the Oblivia Jean journey. What are you hoping the next 12 months look like for the band?

Well, anything can happen so we can't be too sure, but we've definitely got a lot planned. 'Blue Moon' is coming out September 1, but there will be two to three other singles on their way sooner rather than later, and our debut album within the year, which is massively exciting.

We definitely want to do some interstate shows, but also keep your eyes out for some interesting visual content like music videos. We're also hoping to release a poetry book in the near future; we’ve got a lot to say.

 'Blue Moon' is Thursday 1 September. Pre-save the single here. Catch Oblivia Jean performing at Ed Castle on Saturday 5 September. Tickets on sale at humanitix.com.