Meet the SXSW Band: Otto Aday

And here you were thinking we might just slow down for these last few days in build up to next week… WRONG! We still have several more SXSW interviews to bring your way in the final days leading up to the festival next week. Hopefully you are enjoying this short preview into what it means to play the festival for an artist and how to survive on the road. Our next interview up comes from London based artist Otto Aday. You can check all the deets and tunes after the jump.

ATH: What’s the name of the band/group? Where are you from?

Otto Aday from Ferndale, South Wales. Based in London.

ATH: Give us a short pitch for your band, describing sound, ambiance or whatever you feel like.

Cinematic and larger than life with a tinge of British rock and roll and psychedelic flavor. Its classic songwriting with a fresh twist. Someone once said my music would perfectly fit in a Baz Luhrmann film. I like to underpin all of my songs with honest stories that I’ve lived through, letting my music become a tapestry of the moments I’ve spent within my life. I also do all the creative heavy lifting from an old repurposed post office in the valleys of South Wales.

ATH: What was your most recent release? Any planned releases for 2024?

I’ve got a single coming out in summer of 2024 and I’ve just released my debut album at the end of 2023 called Persona recorded in Nashville and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London produced by myself and Dave Stewart.

ATH: SXSW is often called a sort of initiation which can lead to increased exposure. As a band, why did you choose to play the festival? What’s your aim for the week?

I’m here to knock socks off & play some killer shows. Meet any new people that vibe with what I’m making. Build some life long friends & soak up as much of the music and atmosphere as possible. Walking away from the festival Id love a manager and some new label contacts.

ATH: What has everyone in the band been listening to, or, what plays in the tour van/car/bus?

Tame Impala, Temm, Flyte, Dry The River & then probably some Paolo Nutini.

ATH: If you’ve had a chance to check out any of the artists coming into town for the festival – Anyone you are excited about trying to see during the week?

Arny Margret, Kiss Bang & the wonderful Victoria Canal.

ATH: Disregarding the constructs of space, time, and availability – If you could construct a power group of artists to make the supreme, all powerful super group of a band, who would be in it? Pick as many members as you like. Who is on vocals, drums, guitar, etc.? All submissions will be judged with a winner awarded during the festival.

Paul Simon on acoustic guitar and vocals, Daryl Hall on keys and vocals, Carol Kaye on bass.

I think Id go for Jackson Pollock on drums and Van Gogh playing a keytar just for the wow factor & David Byrne for artistic vision, musical direction & tambourine.

ATH: Any road survival or SXSW survival tips for newbie bands? What are some must haves to survive the road?

Ooo good question, I’m going to try and pick up a pair of proper Austin made boots. I’m sure they’ll be vital to surviving my time in Austin and if I don’t survive at least Ill die looking fabulous.

ATH: What concerns do you have as a band or a human or both? In regards to music, the world, really… where does your mind tend to wander these days?

I think the line between content creator and artist is really blurred with the way the modern industry is set up, larger and more notable labels would much rather sign someone whos never written a song & put them in a room with a songwriter rather than sign the songwriter. Its more about the audience and quick form content than the art of songwriting itself.

Thanks again for making the time to do this! Here are some shows for Otto Day next week:

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 – FOCUS Wales at SXSW 2024 – The Creek & The Cave, Austin TX – 8:30pm

Thursday, March 14th, 2024 – The Planetary Group 2024 Showcase at SXSW – Valhalla in Austin TX – 12:20pm