Exclusive: Five Minutes With Opal Blue

Not much is known about the mysterious London-based band Opal Blue, but luckily we had a chance to sit down with the talented group to catch up with them for a quick five minutes.

Hi there, how are you and what are you up to today?
All good thank you. I am working on some sheet music for a composition project, fixing a windscreen wiper and programming some exciting music.

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?
Atmospheric, ambient, ethereal, submerged underwater, meditative and raw.

What are the 5 most influential albums that have influenced you the most?
Radiohead – Amnesiac
Robert Glasper – Black Radio
Boyz II Men – End Of The Road
Jamie Cullum – The Pursuit
DJ shadow – Introducing

Which other artists are you into at the moment and why?
Terrace Martin – he has an amazing flair for arrangement and beautiful harmonic structures.
Fink – They make me feel so depressed but out of that, I think there is a damage and rebuild reaction in my soul.
Frank Ocean – NEW ALBUM THIS MONTH, OR NEXT?! Or maybe he will keep holding us all in suspense and never release it!

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?
My Rhodes Mk II, Wurlitzer 200A , Ableton and Roland Jupiter.

Where do you gather song writing inspiration?
I gather it from nature, the human condition and Indian/Japanese traditional music. I don’t feel inspired to write everyday but piss me off and I’ll write for a month and probably about you.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when put music together?
The first step is to “get your pen out”. I know that sounds daft but all the laptop writing makes me ill. I was trained in classical composition so I quite like to start with pen and paper before I start sitting down in front of an instrument and think clearly about what I want to say in the song.

What’s the best gig you have ever done and why?
A performance of one of my compositions. I wasn’t actually there and I don’t know many of the details of the gig, but I heard that a lot of people cried having heard my piece, which was a very touching thing to hear! The best was at Mau Mau bar on Portobello. The atmosphere there is incredible and everybody is on your side. I messed up a bit up and they just clapped and cheered and pushed me on.

And the worst?
Playing jazz at a function gig for a private gentleman’s club. They got totally wasted and out of control and started to interfere with our stage setup, they ended up jumping into the swimming pool fully clothed! It was a lovely space and the people that run it are awesome but I’ve been twice now and never enjoyed it.

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?
A talentless but devoted painter.

Do you have any particular gigs or festivals that you dream about playing?
Making music at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and Coachella would be nice!

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, who would it be?
John Lennon and Tony Bennett – those voices man.

Do you have any information regarding upcoming releases, projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?
We are working on the album and lining up gigs for the end of the summer. Stay tuned!