The boys of Wexford are back.
The Ocelots have announced the release of their second album, “Everything, When Said Slowly”, due February 2025. The duo are twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson who hail from Wexford, but are now based in Leipzig, Germany. Building on their folk-rock sound overlain with their distinctive sibling harmonies, the pair have engaged with long-time collaborators Cillian and Lorcan Byrne (Ailbhe Reddy, Susan O’Neill) as producers. The album, which was recorded live in Orphan Recording Studios, explores themes of Irish migration, the perception of time, love, and the simple joys of cycling.
“Apart from recording the majority of the album in an intense window of three days, we had a long overdubbing phase back in Leipzig”, says Ashley. “We were able to be more creative with the final touches. I worked in a bookstore and inside we had this beautiful noisy harmonium. I had a lot of fun with that, and I was in love with the sound. Brandon worked day after day on lead guitar parts, harmonica parts and arrangements for cello lines or extra harmonies. It took way longer than it should have, but it was worth it”.
“The title “Everything, When Said Slowly” is a response from an old Irish man’s perspective on people leaving our hometown of Wexford over the years past. He said it was a very long time since they left, but not much time if you said it fast. I found it wonderful and profound, but also deeply moving and fitting for the album’s sentiment. How time flies or drags depending on what you’re experiencing, especially when it’s time in a place you said goodbye to.”
The debut single taken from the album is ‘About You’. The song is said to be an attempt at bringing ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’ back to this decade. It’s an indie-pop anti-love song, using chromatic synths, jangling electric guitars and a tight rhythm section. You can see the video below.
The due are playing the Boia Festival, St Davids, Wales on 26th October 2024 and Third Man Records, Blue Basement, London on 29th October 2024. To celebrate the launch of the album, The Ocelots will perform live shows across the UK and Ireland in early 2025 see the band’s tour page and the venue websites for tickets.
The Ocelots UK and Ireland 2025 Tour dates:
Feb 7 – The Jeremy Hynes Room, Wexford Opera House, Wexford
Feb 8 – The Seantí, Waterford
Feb 12 – The Black Gate, Galway
Feb 13 – The Commercial, Limerick
Feb 14 – Whelan’s, Dublin
Feb 15 – The Duncairn, Belfast
Feb 16 – Sandinos, Derry
Feb 21 – Coughlan’s, Cork
Feb 22 – Levis’s bar, Ballydehob
Feb 23 – Prim’s Bookshop, Kinsale
Feb 26 – Le Pub, Newport
Feb 27 – Hyde Away, Frome
Feb 28 – St. Swithun’s Church, Worcester
Mar 1 – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
Mar 2 – Cafe #9, Sheffield
Mar 4 – Oporto, Leeds
Mar 5 – Castle Hotel, Manchester
Mar 6 – Green Note, London
Mar 7 – Folklore Rooms, Brighton
Mar 8 – The Arc, Winchester
Mar 9 – Southbourne (Wight Bear)
Mar 11 – Cambridge (Portland Arms)
