INTERVIEW: Bambi O'Hara releases new single '10:45
Image: Sam Brumby
Tasmanian born, now Sydney based, artist Bambi O’Hara today releases her new single ‘10:45’. The song follows on from her last single ‘Crazy Without You’ and 2020’s debut ‘Vanilla Fumes’.
A song full of longing and lust, ‘10:45’ is a gorgeously lush pop track with subtle synth-electro backing beats and soaring melodies which build throughout the track, all held together by O’Hara’s remarkable expansive vocals.
To match the cinematic mood of the song, the video of ‘10:45’ is also released today. Dark and moody, it was directed by Sam Brumby (Sticky Fingers, Julia Jacklin, Ali Barter) and was inspired by O’Hara’s favourite directors David Lynch and Lars von Trier.
We recently caught up with Bambi to find out more about the creation of ‘10:45’ and her music career to date.
Hey Bambi! First up, how is everything in the world of Bambi O’Hara right now?
Hello! Pretty good, this is my first single release for 2021, and I’m really excited for so much more to come.
Congratulations on the release of your single ’10:45’, it is absolutely beautiful! What is the inspiration behind this track?
Thank you so much. Well, the inspiration sort of came up organically, from a weird writing twist. The original song title was going to be ‘Sun Dial’, as I wanted to write an upbeat-happy song…inspired by the sun. It was the sun dial showing the time of 10:45 - that was what inspired the origin [of the song]
I drew inspiration for the title of “10:45” from my lyric “Now it’s a quarter to eleven, and I can’t stop thinkin’ about it. I had a look at heaven, now I can’t live without it” - a state of being frozen before “The Eleventh Hour”, which is synonymous for the latest possible time.
But ‘10:45’ took on a life of its own. I realised the song is about the moment in time where you start to doubt, and think “this is too good to be true” or “what’s the catch?” The chorus literally repeats “Don’t tell me it’s too good / Don’t tell me it’s too good, to be true” like you’re praying that a red flag doesn’t appear, but at the same time you’re wearing rose-tinted glasses because the situation is so amazing, and you don’t want it to see the bad.
Then I sing “Tell me, Tell me, Tell me” in the backing vocals, which is my subconscious almost anticipating and waiting for something bad to happen. So there’s this push and pull in ‘10:45’ of wanting to know the truth but trying to live in the moment.
What was the creative process like for this song?
This song came together super fast! It was all written with just grand piano and vocal originally, recording sections at a time, with my co-producer and partner Tim McArtney. I tried writing happy chords, but the vocal melody became more melancholic as we went on. I loved the contrast between the happy chords and melancholic vocal, so we kept it!
All up, the song was written in two days, and we just peppered in production where we had the spare time! I love rich production, trap beast and midi strings mixed with real strings. So we got our friend Dora to come in and record violin and viola over this track! Lots of fun.
You have also released a very moody music video for the song, can you talk us through its creation and what you hoped to portray?
I am obsessed with surreal and beautiful movies and was super inspired by directors I love - David Lynch (Twin Peaks), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Mother!), Stanley Kubrick (The Shining), Lars Von Trier…
I wanted to really harness the use of colour, to subliminally set a tone for each scene. I wanted the viewer to be on a rollercoaster of emotions, each scene dominated by one colour to heighten the emotions of each moment. Psychology studies show that humans base 90% of their snap decisions on colour, and their associations with it! Blue for sadness, yellow for anxiety, purple for frustration or the surreal, red for passion, love or anger, etc. I wanted to create a surreal, colour saturated rollercoaster. Another world, where emotions colour each abstract scene.
You have said you are ‘infatuated with tragic romance and nostalgia’. Where do you think this infatuation comes from?
Ha ha, I think it’s because it just moves me so much! It’s something that pulls you out of the mundane and day-to-day world, because tragic romance is just so conflicting. I love that it shows a really raw side of people/characters, and the lengths they will go to for love and desire. Sometimes to their own detriment. It can look utterly insane! Especially to those who don’t feel that extreme love or devotion. It’s so shocking. Nostalgia links with this, because it’s such a wistful and romantic feeling from a past life. Feelings of nostalgia can be very surreal!
What artists were you into, and who inspired you, when you were growing up?
My Dad would play Roy Orbison, Elvis and Andrea Bocelli growing up. Quite an emotional mix there ha ha! I really loved any music he played! I myself dived into everything, I went through phases of Queens of The Stone Age, Vivaldi, Led Zeppelin, Shakira, a lot of emo bands, Britney Spears, Lykke Li, Childish Gambino, Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Jeff Buckley…it’s honestly a huge bizarre mix.
When did you decide to embark upon a music career? Was it something you just knew would always happen or was it more by circumstance?
When I was around 14, Mum finally said I could have a guitar but I had to give up all other activities outside of school. I did just that in a heartbeat. I quickly taught myself super basic chords, just so I could turn my poetry into songs! It was all just really organic! I started producing my own music around 3 years ago, I love writing on Ableton and using strings with samples.
You are a 100% independent artist. What do you find are the pros and cons of this?
It can be super taxing being 100% independent, but I love the artistic control and wouldn’t give that up for anything. From musical style, to visual direction, I love being involved with every aspect and every tiny detail! I am a pretty pedantic person, so that works well for me, however time management and planning are essential if you are a self-managed independent artist such as myself. Can be really hard if you’re also working a day job!
You have to immerse yourself 10000% into your art as an independent musician, which can be both a pro and a con. Because at the end of the day, you still want to have enough steam left to write music.
Ever since the music industry began female artists have never been treated with the same respect and admiration as male artists, probably because the music industry has always been run by white, straight, older men. What are your thoughts on gender equality and sexism in the music industry?
Such a great question. I think it is only in the last year, we have started to shine a light on this toxic and messed up sexism in the music industry. If I’m honest, there is still a lot more work to be done, and I think we are only just seeing the tip of the iceberg. Amazing people such as Jaguar Jonze, and Sheisaphrodite (Mish, who I worked with last year) started some amazing ground work in uncovering some dangerous predatory men working within the music industry, but this is just the beginning. There is also a new Instagram page @beneaththeglassceiling which is now providing women in the music industry with a platform to speak out, and express what they’ve gone through. This is amazing in that it connects, gives validation and warning to women in the music industry. It’s really going to take a lot of conscious change to create a safer and more equal space for women and GNC people in the music industry for the future, but I really believe there are ripples happening, and change is coming.
What else can we expect to see from Bambi O’Hara in 2021?
Well! I’ve just started rehearsing with my band! It’s already been so fun. We will be doing stripped back versions of my music, and we have an amazing harpist, which will be amazing to perform with! It sounds very dreamy, and ethereal. All of the band are female too. There will be some epic acapella vocal harmonies.
‘10:45’ is out now. You can buy and stream here.
To keep up with all things Bambi O’Hara you can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
