The song tackles a heavy topic, but that is also it’s shining moment…it transcends the concept of being just a song and becomes a helpline to people of the world…actually, Ollie dedicates “Stifled”  to those who lost family members or friends and encourages people to seek help or chat when struggling mentally. It encourages people to reach out for help and support when they need it most

Ollie is currently performing as a one man band where he sings and plays guitar using both feet on a stomp box with a looping pedal for his guitar and a high-hat cymbal.

…but when it comes to recording, Ollie takes up his siblings Blair (Drums) and Lawson (Bass) to work on all of his releases…and it shows how incredibly talented they are as musicians…maybe in the near future they will join Ollie on the stage? Perhaps…

So, depression, a heavy topic? Yes…should we not talk about it? No!

…we should talk…and this is exactly the message of “Stifled”, this is what Ollie wants for the world…maybe this little talk could be the difference between life and death.

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Ollie manages to create a genre bending one here with “Stifled”…it has some excellent indie acoustic moments, but it also has huge sounding sections with big and wide guitars and powerful drum beats…

…one of the most iconic elements in “Stifled” is the melody…it really sticks to your brain…and almost instantly, that is not just because of how well the melody is written, but Ollie delivers an emotionally charged vocal performance that will not be forgotten, absolutely brilliant and rich.

“Stifled” is a helpline to anyone in the world…anyone who might need to feel that he is heard, don’t hold it in, open your heart and speak.

We wish all the best to Ollie and can’t wait to hear more of his poignant and impactful song…we’ll be on the lookout.

Cheers!

“Washed Away” was written in response to the catastrophic floods that hit Southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales on Monday 28th February 2022, according to the artist’s press material.

Jay Penfold Photography

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The song captures stories of the people who were tragically disaffected by the catastrophic floods, including many who were moved out of their homes, those who lost their jobs, businesses, and livelihoods, and many who lost all their personal belongings. The grief over so much loss is unimaginable.

Ollie Twohill sings the voice of the victims of the flood with a sad but compassionate emotion on “Washed Away” so much so that it might be them singing it themselves. The artist really put himself in the victims’ position with an inspirational degree of empathy.

We wish for all victims of the flood a safe return to their homes. Our prayers go out to those disaffected, and we hope they find sooner relief for their difficult situation.

Musically, ‘Hollow’ is an upbeat powerful rock pop tune that you will easily love its vibes and energetic lines. I would say my favorite here is his singing style and the lovely guitar solo, however, I was wishing if it’s a bit longer really. When we get deeper into the song topic, you can feel it easily because we have been in such a situation before at least once in our lives. “Hollow was inspired by a relationship breakup, where my partner at the time decided to abruptly end it. I was completely shocked and blindsided even though it was an amicable parting of ways.” – Ollie clarified. No matter what this type of relationship was, still, the sudden breakup is an unbearable feeling for sure. Ollie is a one-band project, his siblings Blair (Drums) and Lawson (Bass) joined the recording of ‘Hollow.’ And I loved their input really as I can see here the powerful drumline and how the bass is keen to hold the core of the track to build a tight musical harmony. 

What was really interesting to me while listening to ‘Hollow,” that the musical style is like a great mix of several amazing bands together, when I checked his press info to know more about his influences, I found many names like John Mayer, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Blink 182, and Avril Lavigne among many others, actually, this creates a great diversity in his musical output. Feel the vibes below!