Australian Trio Halcyon Drive Shares New Single SILVER RAY

Australian trio Halcyon Drive (Michael Oechsle, Max Pamieta, and Basil Yu) has released its newest single "Silver Ray," a dazzling indie-pop gem that's the first we've heard from the band since its two EPs, 2014's Cruel Kids and 2016's Untethered. "Silver Ray" is the first taste of Halcyon Drive's debut album, slated for a 2018 release. Listen to it here.

"Silver Ray" is Halcyon Drive's warm welcome into the spring season, with an uplifting and catchy twist on the band's already-defined sound. Michael Oechsle, Max Pamieta, and Basil Yu continue to bring a stunning and sophisticated style to indie pop. Shining exuberantly with its spirited melodies, the song takes cues from the likes of Everything Everything, Glass Animals, and The Strokes.

Emerging from the creative melting pot that is Melbourne, the two halves of Halcyon Drive, guitarist/vocalist Michael and drummer Max, are born innovators: sonic daredevils with a knack for the kind of intimacy that shakes at both the heart and the limbs.

Weaving together summer-soaked melodies and thriving rhythms, Halcyon Drive seamlessly meld garage-toned pop hooks with a unique blend of electronic sounds and intricate instrumentation. Halcyon Drive's song writing is both meticulous and organic with a sound that is forever peeking over the edge into a chasm of chaos; the spark that lights the fire, brimming with a rare, off-kilter energy.

Armed with a diverse arsenal of gear, Halcyon Drive's live show is a fitting theatre for the realisation of a sound which has taken them everywhere from the festivals and clubs of Australia; to the far-off stages of Moscow City. Scattered with layered live loops and shape-shifting dual drum segments, it's an experience refreshing in its spontaneity, and completely captivating.

Pooling together a massive range of influences from Everything Everything to Glass Animals, The Strokes to St. Vincent, Neil Finn and David Byrne, they carved their own sound through hours of jamming and performing together. Initially taking cues from pop-centric indie, they grew a little "weirder" and more "different", ultimately releasing two EPs, 2014's Cruel Kids and 2016's Untethered.

Following Unthethered, Mick and Max set to work on their debut album, and for the first time, began toying with electronic production. Max in particular developed a far greater understanding of electronic production and instrumentation, having only "very much lived in a guitar, bass, drums bubble" prior to the band's evolution.

The Halcyon Drive songwriting process is remarkably organic. Typically, the two enter the room "with a blank canvas", jamming and letting the music form naturally out of guitar loops and experimentation. Recording these sessions on their phones, they would later listen back and sift through their jams, looking for diamonds in the rough. These would form the basis of songs which they would later refine and structure.

While the pair share that fundamental background knowledge, their approach to songwriting couldn't be more different. Joel Quartermaine, Eskimo Joe guitarist and producer of the group's upcoming debut album, described the two as "Yin and Yang. Mick bounces off the walls in the studio. Max is the walls."

"Silver Ray" is the latest single from Halcyon Drive's forthcoming debut album to be released in 2018. Fresh, uplifting and catchy as hell; Silver Ray fits in perfect summertime playlist alongside Glass Animals, Everything Everything and The Strokes. Lyrically - singer Michael Oechsle drew inspiration from the lurking feelings and doubts that inhibit out psyches, just under the surface of our conscious. "It's about not just continuing to 'swim alone' in the dark, but to share freely with those closest to us, to understand and conquer what's going on under the surface."

Silver Ray was released worldwide on Friday, March 2, and live dates are available through halcyondrive.com.

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