Clattermouuuth’s Music of The Week: Q&A with Oh Callaghan

By Andrew Kohler

Welcome back to Clattermouuuth’s Music of the Week, curating Rockaway’s music taste one week at a time. Today, I thought I’d share with you all one of my first interviews ever with the experimental, indie bedroom rock artist Oh Callaghan.

Q: Describe the sound of your music for unfamiliar listeners.

A: I would say that my music is grounded in an indie rock and shoegaze sound, but having a background in jazz, I like to incorporate some harmony that you might not commonly hear in indie music.

Q: How and when did you get into music?

A: I got into music when I was ten years old because I had the classic cool older brother who showed me all the music he liked. Definitely hearing Metallica and Megadeth made me get into playing guitar. It wasn’t until the end of college, though, that I started exploring songwriting and how cool it can be to channel your emotions in that medium.

Q: Describe your creative process.

A: My creative process is very simple: I have a super minimal setup (Scarlett 2i2 interface with one condenser mic) and usually start with a guitar riff, guitar chords, or melody, and layer the other instruments from there. Almost all of the time, lyrics and vocal melody come once I have some sort of chords on guitar. The most interesting thing I can think of is sometimes I think of a feeling or memory, lots of the time having to do with nostalgia, and I try to capture how that would sound and feel to me.

Q: Where do you find inspiration?

A: I find inspiration primarily from other people/musicians, and from experiences. I love when an artist makes something so compelling that it has my mind racing on the drive home, thinking about how I can formulate what they’re doing in my own music. Also, being a touring musician, seeing so many sights and having so many different experiences on the road provides a lot of material for creative endeavors.

Q: What song/project should unfamiliar listeners start with?

A: The only music I have out right now is an EP called “A Friend in the End of the World,” and my favorite track is probably “Come Home.”

Q: Any new projects soon? Anything you want to promote?

A: Nothing cemented for sure, but now that I have more time off from the road, be sure to look out for new music!

Q: What music have you been listening to recently?

A: Lately, I’ve been listening to the U.K. band “Sorry.” I think they have such a unique sound and approach to their production and songwriting. I’ve also really been enjoying the heavy shoegaze sounds of the band “Julie,” and I always am listening to Alex G (probably my favorite artist of all time).