Interview by Wanda De Verelle-Hill
OKA will be playing at the brilliant reggae, soul and dub event Island Vibe Festival 2012 on Stradbroke Island this October. We caught up with OKA’s Charles Wall for a chat…
LMM: How is your tour of Canada going?
Charles: EPIC – quite hectic but loving every bit of it. The weather has been perfect. We’ve managed to fly all over the country.
LMM: What is the music scene like over there?
Charles: It’s rich. There’s a lot of festivals in the summer. Canadians really make the most of their warm weather. So many different bands from all over the world hit North America. There’s a good vibe around with all the quality & different music.
LMM: It was great to see you performing at the protest against Coal Seam Gas extraction in Lismore, NSW. Have you supported other events like this?
Charles: Yeah we have. We’ve done stuff for Sea Shepherd and other organisations. The event in Lismore was special. There was such amazing support from the community and beyond. We felt honoured to be a part of it and feel strongly toward the issue.
LMM: OKA stars in Rock the Gate which premiered in Lismore recently, is this the first movie you have been in?
Charles: We haven’t been in many that’s for sure. We’ve had our music played in Our Generation and Life Like Liquid but never a starring role. haha
LMM: Are you trying out any new sounds or influences at the moment?
Charles: We’ve got some new tracks on the go at the moment and have been test running them out our shows. There’s a bit more singing with Zappa (Bobby Alu) bringing his sounds and Big Stu has been getting into some strong bassy synth lines merging with his didgeridoo. Some really awesome dance stuff coming out. One thing for sure is that we’re having loads of fun.
LMM: What do you have in store for your fans at Island Vibe this year?
Charles: We’ve just finished playing 80 sets of music in just over a week. Been playing a bunch of new sounds and flavours. We’re sitting here at the Toronto airport about to embark on our 24hr journey home. We are tired – but the show is tight from all the playing we’ve been doing and we are happy! Really looking forward to bringing our new tracks to the island and also showing how well we are playing the old ones.
LMM: Do you have any advice for first time initiates of the Island Vibe Festival?
Charles: Don’t miss any of it! Get there early and leave late.
LMM: Who are you excited about seeing at Island Vibe this year?
Charles: Our friends! We’ve spent the majority of this year on the road. We are taking the weekend off so we can stay at the festival the whole time and just chill and watch great music with our friends that we miss dearly. Love watching Kooii and looking forward to seeing Savona team up with Prince Alla… the festival is going to be Hip.
LMM: What overseas festivals do you love and want to recommend to our readers?
Charles: Winnipeg Folk Festival. It’s in the middle of Canada and an absolute cracker.
LMM: Have you got any plans to record another album in the near future?
Charles: As a matter of fact we do! Next year we will be releasing for sure.
Don’t miss OKA at:
Festival News: Island Vibe Festival 2012 – First Lineup Announcement
FRIDAY 26th – SUNDAY 28th OCTOBER 2012
OKA
* Read our Interview: Peter Hunt – Kooii… HERE
More Info at www.islandvibe.com.au