The initialism “DIY” gets thrown around an awful lot in music, which in recent years grew from a uniquely rough-edged aesthetic to a broad spectrum with how accessible producing music at home has become through technological advances.
Lancashire raised, Cardiff based newcomer Ollie Hussey takes his own DIY approach fervently in his creative stride. Using just his guitar, an old iPhone and on occasion, household items like pens and scissors for percussion, he crafts a formidable sound that walks the line between ethereal indie rock and dreamy pop. On his third single of the year, “May I Use,” he reaffirms his growing talents, proving that you can indeed do a lot with only a little.
His previous single, the subtly brit-pop tinted “Credence” caught ears with his uniquely slow-burning and atypical refrain, and the follow-up holds your attention in a similar manner but brings in differing themes to get there.
“It all started with the main piano hook that runs pretty much all the way through, then it all came together after that,” Hussey details in an email statement. That electronic piano, in combination with the delay-laden guitar and reverb-soaked, dusky vocal timbre, adds an air of reminiscence of the downtempo pop hits of the 80s, whilst maintaining the distinct identity crafted on the preceding release.
The lyrics perform like an intriguing, yet vivid stream of consciousness, while the instrumentation revels in its simmeringly steadfast dynamics. Ollie concludes the same statement that, “To me, I imagine it is about somebody who wants to be somebody else; they literally want to assume their identity. I think they’ve taken their admiration for them too far and it’s become obsessive. There’s a line in it that says: May I rule over you? so there’s definitely a creepy aspect to it.”
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