Premiere: OK Hotel expand to a four-piece, share thrashing new EP Stay Bright

OK Hotel is one of the many bands we've come to love over the course of 2020 thus far, with the Wollongong-based then-trio making a debut at the top-end of the year with Swim. It was then followed by a second track titled Life is Crazy (Like That), one which broadened their horizons into 90s-era alt-rock and grunge mixed in with a touch of modern-day punk rock, mixed together with an energy and charm that really brought everything together brilliantly.

"Drawing from lots of opposites is so much fun," they said when asked to explain their sound. "We’re all just very obsessed with listening to music, so we pick up a lot from everywhere. In OK Hotel we feed off enjoying really well-written pop music and some obscure guitar stuff from the 90s, a lot of which carries over into the way it sounds. We like making heavier sounding wall of fuzz-pop songs. Making the music to our own taste is a big part of the feel and lyrics."

It's something that all comes together with the group's debut EP Stay Bright, which comes as an opportunity for OK Hotel to further solidify their sound and look forward into what's next, especially as they expand to a four-piece with the addition of a new member in Lucy Rorris. Bolstered by a new member, the group feel a little more louder and energetic across the course of the EP's five tracks, moving between snapshots of alt-rock, grunge, punk and indie without disconnecting from their high-octane spirit that have kept them such a prevalent force amongst the next generation.

The EP opens with the pre-released Life is Crazy and doesn't really slow down from there. On Stars on the Ceiling, the group thrash about in a heavier sound that feels more indebted to the more punk-y/grunge-y acts of the 90s, while Better Friends is quick-paced and fiery from the get-go, with a more focused energy on the track's soaring hooks and equally-soaring guitar riffs. What A Lie finishes the EP with an opportunity to breathe, albeit only for a brief moment before the song moves into a grunge-y, thick-layered blend of alt-rock distortion and cut-through percussion.

"Stay Bright is about the disheartening effort of staying positive and finding kindness through weird times," the group say on the EP, its themes quite timely to what the band have experienced amongst their break-out year. "We wrote some of these song ideas being so young it feels like a long time ago when we listen back. They aged with us in a way that’s hard to describe and it’s a record we’ll always want to hold close because of that."

It's a big moment for the group and one really worth celebrating, so do so, and take a dive into the EP below as it premieres on Pilerats ahead of its official release tomorrow, November 19th:

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