Ollie Vee is a 4 piece band from a small farm town in Ontario, Canada called Seagrave. They have been together for about a year and half, but all of the members have been playing for most of their lives. Howard has been playin’ double bass for more than 45 years. I’m talking to Jesse Adamson the lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player.
They describe your music style as roots music.
How did your love for this music start, which age, which artist.
The first Rock ‘n’ Roll song I can remember is “It’s So Easy” from Buddy Holly. I have had a picture of him on my wall for a very long time.
Who did influence you?
The influences are pretty broad in Ollie Vee. We draw from traditional Country, Rockabilly, New Orleans Rhythm & Blues and even New Wave stuff. My favorite singers are Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Conway Twitty, Morrissey and Little Richard. In no particular order.
Where do you get your inspiration? Real life, or total fantasy.
Both. I sing songs about misbehaving, my sweetheart, being a kid and then I sing dark songs about crime and death. You can pick which ones are make believe!
Tell us about your album
I think our best stuff is collaborative. In my opinion everyone in this band is strong writer and there is nothing better than a completely unique take on where something should go. The songs have more depth this way.
Lonesome Girl is our debut album. We had only been playing together for a few months when we made it. All the songs are recorded live off the floor through a 60’s revision Neve Console straight to a Studer A80 2″ Tape machine. There are only a few overdubs. Basically just some hand claps and a backup vocal or two. No additional guitars or layers etc. We wanted to capture a vintage feel, but with better production. The album was mixed in a couple of different studios in Chicago and Los Angeles by two different engineers. Both of these guys are amazing. They have worked with all kinds of acts like Beck, Smashing Pumpkins, INXS and Lucinda Williams to name a few. We were in good hands.
What are your do’s and don’ts on stage?
Don’t get drunk. Well, don’t get too drunk. Have fun, but try to remember the words to the songs.The music comes first. The band needs to play well at all times. That is what people come to see. But there is nothing worse than a pretentious show. I see some of these indie bands that take themselves so seriously and I hate the way they come across.
Music is fun. Rock ‘n’ Roll should make you get up and move. If the band is having fun, the audience tends to have fun. At least this is our experience with playing for an audience. We love to play and it is obvious when you watch us. As for the clothes.. Johnny doesn’t necessarily wear that cowboy hat everywhere we go. But other than that, we don’t look much different if you see us on the street.
Do you like other styles than rock and roll?
We all love Rock N Roll. I also dig New Wave bands like The Smiths or The Cure and I can listen to Phil Spector Girl groups anytime. Howard loves Jazz and Rhythm & Blues. Johnny loves Robert Johnson, The Talking Heads and Dwight Yoakam. Our new drummer, Adam Perzia played in metal bands growing up. We like all kinds of music.
Is there an artist you would like to work with in future?
I think they are mostly dead. Little Richard is still going..
Where would you like to play?
On our Sun & Moonshine North American Tour we are playing in a lot of the areas that we have always wanted to play. Texas, Tennessee, New York, to name a few. But we really love playing to a new crowd, so anywhere new will really do.
Tell us a fun story about your band or gig.
Howard was the Taxi Driver that drove me home from the local dive bar (after too many) for two years before we even knew that we loved the same music. The first time he rolled down my driveway, he stopped and said “I used to own this house”. Weird. Then two years later I mentioned that I wrote roots music on a flat top guitar and he told me that I had just met the best rockabilly double bassist that I would meet in my life. We started playing together about a week later.
Do you regret anything?
I have some shitty tattoos. I’m slowly getting them covered.
Finish this sentence: we will never ever….
Sleep with our band mates mothers or daughters.
[…] The cover has some great pictures. Inside the sleeve you’ll find a story about the recording of the album, as they call it: it was live off the floor, some songs were recorded in one take! All on tape to get that vintage sound. (Jesse tells about it in RBO’s interview: http://www.karto.nl/?p=10417) […]