Earlier this year, the band opened nationally for American folk heroes The Mountain Goats, who were in Australia as a part of the massive Bluesfest lineup. Having performed with the band before over on their side of the world, Oh Pep! were very excited to be able to return the favour on Australian turf.
“John (Darnielle) has been so good to us,” says Pepita “Pepi” Emmerichs – the ‘Pep!’ to Olivia Hally’s ‘Oh’ – who provides mandolin, fiddle and backing vocals in the duo. “The first time that we did the opening slot for him, he went out of his way to tell us how much he liked our music. Coming from someone like him, it’s such an unbelievable honour.
“The whole band has been nothing but sweet to us, and touring with them really feels like a match made in heaven. We’re so lucky that we get to travel around and play with all of these artists that we’ve had musical crushes on for so long. We just did the Martha Wainwright tour, which was so wonderful; as well as a tour in the States with Valerie June. We even get to play some shows with Billy Bragg – it’s unbelievable.”
Of course, touring extensively as a support act can have both great benefits as well as drawbacks. While it brings you to many incredible venues and far bigger crowds, there’s also an element of indifference from those in attendance solely to see one band – and, spoiler alert, you are notin that band. “It has its challenges,” admits Emmerichs.
“You’re going into unfamiliar territory a lot of the time, where no-one knows who you are. You only have a certain amount of time to succinctly get across what you’re all about, and you have to win them over with your own music. It’s about getting some kind of reaction. It’s not always easy, but it’s fun in its own way. They’re not your audiences, but if you get something witty in there and you get people on side, they could become your audience. You get better and better at it – I feel like we can really smash it now.”
Oh Pep! have been on the road more or less non-stop since the release of their debut LP, Stadium Cake, in June of last year. As its first birthday dawns, the duo have slowly been piecing together material that will make it onto album number two. For now, however, they’re interested to note how their relationship with the album has developed in the time since its recording and production sessions. “We’re still playing the album, but we’re always working toward new stuff,” says Emmerichs.
“It’s funny. We’ve played these songs so much, touring across different continents and countries, and the arrangements end up changing so much. You keep adapting these songs by playing them, whether it’s by playing them with different musicians or the songs changing naturally to reflect how you’re feeling at the time. Even some of the tempos are quite different now to the way that we originally recorded them for the album. Some songs have become more laid back, some have gotten faster. In that way, the album grows and changes with you as you’re playing it.”
Now that Emmerichs and Hally, along with their full backing band, have concluded their current run of touring, what comes next? The world is their oyster – so be alert, come what may. “We’re up for everything,” says Emmerichs. “We want to tour overseas again, we want to write another album, we want to keep doing headlining tours, we want to keep doing support tours.
“I don’t know exactly what order it’s all going to be in yet, but we’re going to make it happen. Honestly, just put us down for all of it.”
