Unveiling O and the London locations that shaped their music

Experience the highs and lows of O's musical journey through London's iconic studios, venues, and bus routes.

by O the Band |

At whynow, we love giving artists a chance to tell their own stories, and today, we’re excited to hand over the reins to O. This band has been making waves with their eclectic sound, and now they’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the London spots that have shaped their music.

From recording their first track in Dan Carey’s studio in Streatham to late-night inspiration on the 176 bus route, O offer a unique glimpse into their creative process. You’ll hear about their time in Peckham Rye, the unexpected challenges they faced, and the quirky moments that turned into tunes.

Their stories are filled with humour, honest reflections, and a passion for music that’s truly infectious. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their work, guide to London promises to be a fun and insightful read.

And for those eager to catch them live, don’t miss their upcoming tour dates:

  • 01/09/24 – Edinburgh Psych Fest, Edinburgh – UK
  • 04/09/24 – Rich Mix, London – UK
  • 05/09/24 – Where Else?, Margate – UK
  • 06/09/24 – Rough Trade Bristol, Bristol – UK
  • 09/09/24 – The Rum Shack, Glasgow – UK
  • 17/09/24 – L’Aéronef, Lille – France
  • 18/09/24 – Point Éphémère, Paris – France
  • 21/09/24 – Schokoladen, Berlin – Germany
  • 25/09/24 – Le Botanique, Brussels – Belgium

So, without further ado, let’s turn it over to O. Enjoy!

O’s Guide to London

IntrO: Dan Carey’s studio, Streatham

The first track we recorded in the studio with Dan. We spent a day setting up all the tech and gear, and then came in fresh the next day and jumped straight in with this track. You can hear how excited and pumped we are – the strange thing was, it was at about 10am in the morning. 

176: South London to Penge

Anyone who lives in South London will know the iconic 176 bus route. There are quite a few places in South which are pretty hard to get home to on the train after midnight, so riding the nightbus for an hour that runs from Tottenham Court Road to Penge is a regular occurrence for us. We’ve both listened to a lot of music in our headphones (or being played by someone else) on this bus, so it seemed only right to name our hip-hop/rock tune after it. 

TV Dinners: Peckham Rye 

We wrote TV Dinners here, in our studio in Peckham Rye. We’ve been here for around six years, and over time built it into the ideal place for writing music and recording demos. This track is one of our favourite tunes to play live but it started life here – strangely after we’d finished listening to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album.

Wheezy: Joe’s Inhaler 

We’ve had a couple of injuries with this band – including Tash almost breaking her finger during a set on tour with Gilla Band. The biggest medical occurrence, though, has been Joe being diagnosed with asthma shortly after the album recording. That means the entire album was recorded while Joe was having an asthma flare-up – with us just thinking it was some kind of chest infection. You can actually hear wheezes on a lot of the tracks, especially on Wheezy – which is how it got its name.

Micro: Micro Festival, Belgium

Credit: Quentin Perot
Credit: Quentin Perot

A bit of a detour to Liege, Belgium here. Last year we played Micro festival over there, and it was our first time playing in ‘a round’ set up with the crowd all around us. It was a memorable gig for that reason, but also because Joe’s saxophone crook completely snapped on the last song. We tried to tape it together, with no luck. That moment alone was worthy of having a song named after it. 

Cosmo: In Space

This is Cosmo, Dan Carey’s cat. Cosmo once ate a considerable amount of a plant called Nepeta Cataria, also known as catnip. Dan told us about how the experience left him a changed cat, and between recording songs, we watched as he would just stare aimlessly into space. The tune is pretty spacey, so we named it in his honour.

Green Shirt: All Over

Tash’s favourite shirt – famously worn for a whole touring summer. Consequently, it got lost several times, was partially chewed by a dog, and accidentally travelled around with a few other bands across Europe. It always made its way back home, without any major rips, somehow.

Whammy: Alexandra Palace Theatre 

Whammy was a tune we wrote just before we headed out on tour with Black Midi. One of the first times playing it live was here, at Alexandra Palace Theatre. It was one of our first gigs and completely terrifying. Joe was using a new Whammy pedal on this show which is an integral part of the sound, and was tried and tested out here. 

Sugar Fish: Brixton Windmill 

Sugar Fish is the oldest tune on the album and has closed out our set since our first gig at the iconic Windmill, Brixton. We owe so much of our crazy band life (as many bands do!)  to this venue and to Tim Perry who puts on the gigs there. Once again, cheers Tim.

Slap Juice: Peckham Levels Arcade

Playfulness, alongside heaviness, is a big part of our music. We’re both into gaming, and particularly got hooked on Fortnite over the past few years. In Fortnite, there’s an item you can use called Slap Juice, which essentially makes you run faster, jump higher and be all-round completely badass. SlapJuice is the hardest tune to play on the album – it’s super fast, consistent blast beats. It feels like we need some Slap Juice in order to play it. 

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