Nashville duo ØZWALD produce mellow indie rock that tugs at the frayed edges of psychedelic country. Their punchy songs resound with the kind of hushed nuance that propelled Jonathan Wilson into the strata of super producer, while exploring the quietly eccentric lives of the two primary songwriters; Jason Wade and Steve Stout.
Upon first listen, it might be hard to reconcile ØZWALD’s beach-twang vibe with the previous work of it’s respective spearheads. Jason Wade fronted the band Lifehouse and Steve Stout is a former member of Lost Beach & Blondfire, yet together their vibe is undeniably indie, eschewing any notion of mainstream grunge pop in favor of a more expansive pallet of sounds – an ineffable blend of desert folk rock which they carefully imbue with heartfelt lyrical sentiments and honey-dipped lead guitar.
Their latest single, “Lies in Disguise,” is possibly the most joyful cut from their forthcoming LP, Born In A State. It jangles along at a steady clip as the cooling vocals settle on the track like a full moon bearing down on a humid Joshua Tree evening. The bright hooks enter like refreshing gusts of wind and the perfectly executed solos land with just enough distortion to casts a languid glow over the rest of the instruments. The song provides a futuristic, peaceful easy feeling, with one foot in wistful nostalgia and the other in modern mysticism.
Born In A State is set to drop on the 17th of December.