Australia’s beloved psychedelic-surf-rockers Ocean Alley have released a new single “Deepest Darkness,” their first new music of 2022. The track is accompanied by a video directed by W.A.M Bleakley (Courtney Barnett, DMA’s, Middle Kids). The cinematic video tells the story of a bored mechanic finding a community that understands her and shares her “shining qualities;” it includes scenes shot with vintage Panavision lenses (one of which was used during filming of the original Star Wars movie). The band has plans for an extensive US tour this summer. Tickets are available now. 

Commanding attention from its opening riff, “Deepest Darkness” is a love song about how someone can bring the best out of you, even in your darkest moments. It features the hallmarks that have long-defined Ocean Alley’s psychedelic-leaning sound — from intoxicating echoing vocals to layered instrumentation, laden with fuzz and reverb. The band’s latest effort dials up the ferocity across each chorus, continually increasing the crunch and intensity.

Reflecting on its creation, frontman Baden Donegal shared “This song is about being so deeply in love with someone and realising how important their support can be to you… that you literally go through the deepest and darkest times together, and that unity makes you so much stronger. It’s from the perspective of imagining what it would feel like to go through life’s tough spots on your own, and having a huge appreciation for the support you receive.”

Guitarist Mitch Galbraith added, “At conception, the song was super chilled – just based off chords Lach was working at on the keyboard and some lyrics Baden wrote during early COVID. It felt right as we kept adding thickness to the chorus, so we just went with it, and now it’s really captivating and powerful. It’s obviously a very different feeling to ‘Touch Back Down’ which is uplifting and playful, whereas ’Deepest Darkness’ has a heavy mysteriousness to it, but we consciously wanted to give listeners a taste of the other vibes we’ve been experimenting with while writing new music.”

Photo Courtesy: Kane Lehanneur