Ezekiel Ox is kind of a man possessed. Obsessed may actually be the more appropriate term. Obsessed with music, performance, art, singing and pursuing his dreams in all of the above. Formerly lead vocalist of high profile, but now sadly departed, heavy alternative acts Full Scale and Mammal, Ox still has many artistic projects on the go, including his metal infused punk act Over Reactor, which is an absolute sight to behold in a live setting, and at the complete opposite end of the scale, the country tinged folk pop of The Ox And The Fury. The Fury have some shows coming up with one of WA’s finest, The Siren Tower. The man himself ponders upon the broadness of his musical palette, the live dates and much, much more.
“Yeah, I don’t really have a genre, like if it’s good I’ll listen to it,” he starts, regarding the diversity of his tastes and his own musical output, “I love seeing things live. I’m a huge fan of a great record of course, but I’m a huge fan of seeing something live, and it turning me on. I’m an artist, I know that might sound really…what’s the word I’m looking for…wanky, is probably the word for it. But for an artist who writes books and paints, and acts in films and directs films, and directs my own film clips and records albums, produces albums, writes albums, plays on albums, sings on albums, all those factors come into it. Really what it is you’re trying to find is a way to express what it is you’re going through in that moment. With the Fury I find moments where I sit, I breathe, like I wrote a song two days ago because I was feeling something really deeply and it came really quickly…I’ve got the need to get stuff out of my brain and off my chest, and I feel the need to create. I’ve trained enough to be able to do it in many different forms.”
The shows with The Siren Tower are fast approaching, and Ox is champing at the bit to get back on stage with The Fury, especially since he happens to be old mates with and great admirers of the members of The Siren Tower. “I’ve known (Siren Tower vocalist) Grant wince he was in Heavy Weight Champ,” he explains, “they used to play with Full Scale Deflection, which was the first band I was in, all those years ago back in ’98 in Perth. His evolution as a songwriter has just been amazing to watch…it’s just so exciting to be back on the road with friends, and so exciting to see what Grant’s come up with, and what his whole band’s come up with. When the offer came up to tour with Siren Tower I was just so happy, it’s just going to be great to go on tour with a bunch of friends, and two great bands as well. I couldn’t be happier to be playing with them.”
Punters familiar with his louder, more in your face projects may be a little surprised with what Ox does in The Fury, as he explains, “It’s ‘folksy’,” he says, “it’s a chance to come and if you want to sit down you can sit down, there’s moments you can dance, but it’s really a chance to listen to some stories about growing up, getting it right, fucking up. Just don’t expect ten foot tall and bulletproof, this is about being vulnerable, and being very honest with these songs.”
