It would be hard to come across a band with a name like Ooga Boogas and not immediately want to know more about them.
The band has a lot going for them. Not only can they claim ownership to possibly the most bizarre band name in Melbourne at the moment, but their musical output features a handful of releases that are just as impressive.
The Melbourne based four piece have just released their self-title sophomore LP and are set to make an appearance headlining as part of the Shadow Electric live gig series at the Abbotsford Convent this Saturday.
Back in 2008 the Ooga Boogas released their debut album Romance And Adventure and soon became the talk of their hometown’s alternative music scene.
The raucous garage-driven release stirred listeners into frenzied states of ‘fuck yeah’ and in true Ooga Boogas fashion, frontman Leon Stackpole seems to remain indifferent about all the hype; “I don’t know what we thought actually.”
“We were glad that people liked it. Did we get any bad reviews? I don’t recall any so I guess that means people liked it,” says Stackpole.
The quartet have never seemed to have really liked doing things in the typical, clichéd industry fashion. Take the launch of their debut album for instance; instead of launching it to a mid-sized inner city venue, they launched the record “at the old Mario’s pizza shop,” in Fitzroy, says the singer, in the middle of the afternoon.
So what strange plans are there in store for the release of the new album? Well, none actually.
“There’s a bit of controversy around this,” Stackpole admits, “because some of us don’t really want to launch the record. We talked about it, and we were going to launch it, and then Mikey [Young] suggested we’d launch it at this show at the Abbotsford convent. But some of us don’t really want to launch it at all.”“There’s a bit of controversy around this, because some of us don’t really want to launch the record…”
It may seem like another outlandish ‘anti-industry’ move from the band but Stackpole assures that “it wasn’t us just being difficult. We weren’t really sure what to do with the show. We were wondering if we should do something a little different.”
Five years may seem like a long period between releases but don’t think Ooga Boogas haven’t had a lot on their plate during that time.
So what exactly did happen with the band in that half-decade? “Lots of life” says Stackpole.
“We did put out a 7 inch called Sentimental Stranger that was a lot of work. After we put the record out we did a tour in the US… about 14 shows,” the singer explains. “We then came back and did a few more shows, put out the 7 inch and some individuals did some travelling, there’s been some medical issues and lots of things.”
Other commitments included starting up the AARGHT! record label that most of the band “come and go into the management of,” says Stackpole.
“Richard Stanley, the bass player, does a lot of work there and keeps it going, so we’ve been putting out a fair few records during that time as well. Heaps of band members play in a bunch of heaps of sorts of bands too.”
In fact, the local music scene is rife with Ooga Boogas members. Guitarist Mikey Young is known for his work as a guitarist in Eddy Current Suppression Ring and has also had his fair share of experience behind the mixing desk.
Young’s production involvement spans over a series of local recordings, including releases by the likes of Useless Children, Dick Diver, Boomgates,Apache Dropout, and most recently, the latest single from Saskwatch.
Richard Stanley acts as bassist for The Onyas, and Stackpole himself has “been playing with Ally Oop and the Hoopsters. Ally from The Spazzys, I play guitar in that band. I’ve been playing in Bits of Shit for a while as well.”
Back with the Boogas, their self-titled album began its life as a recording session that took place in a backyard in Preston.
“Richards’s family was living there and he was a fan of DIY and had a dinky little shed out the back and we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to record a garage record in. Not that the record is particularly garage-y,” details Stackpole. But the track ‘Ecstasy’ was the only number completely recorded before the sessions were shut down by the police.
“So we rehearsed there really quietly and as we started getting the sound together, and for recording purposes, the knobs on the amps slowly went up a bit higher and higher and I think we recorded ‘Ecstasy’ one afternoon and the police sort of rocked up,” he explains. “They were very nice about it. But we thought it was very rude of the neighbours to call [the police] before letting us know.”
The rest of the recording took place at Three Phase Studios in Brunswick and was completed in only two days along with “a whole bunch of other songs that aren’t on the album.”
The new record is an eclectic collection of tracks drawing from a host of influences, from Lou Reed to The Stooges. The boogie filled, garage infused, new wave LP was put together as a predominantly collaborative effort.
“Most of the songs came from me working out a few tunes. Doing a rough mix, sharing it around and listening to it. And then we’d build upon it from there,” details the singer. “…then the concept of sex in the chillzone came up. We imagined it being sung by a robot, ‘I HAD SEX IN THE CHILLZONE!'”
“Some of the songs would start out as riffs that Mikey would put together and then he’d send it to me and I’d work out some lyrics and add a vocal element.”
“There are a few that we recently wrote and a few we’ve had for a few years that the band has been working on. Usually most of the lyrics and vocal content was worked out by me and the music was a combination of both Mikey and I.”
Standing out on the record is an eight-minute long, fever-filled funk jam called ‘Sex In The Chillzone.’ So what exactly is the chillzone? “That’s a good question. You should have heard the lyrics that were supposed to be on that song.“
“The title came from a time when I was in San Sebastian a couple years ago. I was with a few friends and we were sitting on the beach, wrecking ourselves every night, and we were laying on the beach the next day and somehow the concept of the chillzone came up.”
“We were thinking about what would a DEVO version of a song about ‘the chillzone’ would sound like and then the concept of sex in the chillzone came up. We imagined it being sung by a robot, ‘I HAD SEX IN THE CHILLZONE’!” barks Stackpole, “and somehow we layered that on top of the Mikey riff.”
As far as the band’s plans for world domination, what do the Ooga Boogas have in store? Not all that much actually. In fact, their show at the Abbotsford convent is set to be their last for a while; “only one show for now and we’ll see how we go;” better make plans to get in the chillzone then, readers.
Ooga Boogas launch their self-titled album this Saturday as part of The Shadow Electric’s March of The Bands, details below.
The Shadow Electric March Of The Bands
Ooga Boogas Album Launch
w/ support from Woolleen Kits and intermission music from Justin Fuller.
Presented by Tone Deaf and Mantooth Music
FREE ENTRY – bands between 2pm – 6pm
The Shadow Electric
Abbotsford Convent
1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford
Victoria 3067
more details: shadowelectric.com.au
