Ocean Alley is an Australian alternative

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band from the

Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...

. The band is made up of Baden Donegal (vocals, guitar), Angus Goodwin (lead guitar), Lach Galbraith (keyboard, vocals), Mitch Galbraith (guitar), Nic Blom (bass) and Tom O'Brien (drums). Their style of music has been described as "cruisey psych, rock and reggae fusion". The band has released four studio albums and two EPs independently. Their second album ''

Chiaroscuro In art, chiaroscuro ( , ; ) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to ach ...

'' debuted at No. 15 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. Their 2017 track "The Comedown" was voted in at No. 48 in the

Triple J Hottest 100, 2017 The 2017 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 27 January 2018. It was the 25th countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by listeners of Australian radio station triple j Triple J is an Australian government-funded nati ...

. In 2019, Ocean Alley had four songs in the

Triple J Hottest 100, 2018 The 2018 Triple J Hottest 100 was announced on 27 January 2019. It is the 26th countdown of the most popular songs of the year, as chosen by listeners of Australian radio station triple j. A record-breaking number of voters (2.758 million) partic ...

: "Happy Sad" at number 100, " Baby Come Back (Like a Version)" at number 16, "Knees" at number 10, and "

Confidence Confidence is the feeling of belief or trust that a person or thing is reliable. * * * Self-confidence is trust in oneself. Self-confidence involves a positive belief that one can generally accomplish what one wishes to do in the future. Sel ...

" at number 1. Their 2024 song "Tangerine" placed number 15 in the 2024

triple j Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll presented by the publicly-funded Australian youth radio station Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Music of Australia, Australian and alternative music of th ...

History

2011: Formation

The band began playing in a backyard shed in 2011. The members were influenced by the music of

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...

and

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums, percussion). Th ...

, and began performing at venues across the Northern Beaches and the city of Sydney, before releasing their debut EP: ''Yellow Mellow'' in September 2013.

2012–2013: ''Yellow Mellow'' EP

The band continued to build a following throughout Sydney upon releasing the EP ''Yellow Mellow'', performing at more venues across the city, and began to gather a wider audience online thanks to their title track of the EP, as well as their first music video for the song "Weary Eyed". They first toured interstate in 2014.

2014–2015: ''In Purple'' EP

The band went on to tour around Australia five times in their own four-wheel drive (4WD) throughout 2014 and into 2015, gradually building on the size of their shows with each gig. They rounded out their tour dates by releasing their second EP ''In Purple'' in August 2015. The EP included the singles "Space Goat" and "Muddy Water".

2015–2016: ''Lost Tropics'' and international touring

At the end of 2015, Ocean Alley began recording their debut studio album '' Lost Tropics''. Various tracks were still being completed up until the day they started recording. The band later stated that this style of creation was productive, as they did not second guess what they were recording. They toured over the 2015/16 summer with The Ruminaters in Australia, and then to

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

for the first time in March. Using video footage they captured on the road over summer, they released a music video for lead single "

Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...

" and followed up with " Lemonworld", before announcing (and selling out) their East Coast Australian tour dates in support of the independent release of the album '' Lost Tropics'' on 16 May 2016. June 2016 marked the beginning of the first major international run of shows for Ocean Alley in support of their debut album. The band would play 40 shows across Europe, including Sold Out shows in the Netherlands and Germany. They also played numerous shows throughout the UK, France, Italy and Switzerland. They would go on to play shows in New Caledonia, before rounding out the ''Lost Tropics'' cycle with a tour of Australia and New Zealand, that included appearances at Lost Paradise,

Rhythm & Vines Rhythm and Vines (commonly known as R&V, RnV or Rhythm) is an annual music festival held at Waiohika Estate vineyard, northwest of Gisborne, New Zealand. The festival began in 2003 and was held for the one day of New Year's Eve until 2008 whe ...

, Rhythm & Alps and Soundsplash festival over New Year's Eve.

2017–2018: ''Chiaroscuro''

Ocean Alley officially began work on their second album ''

'' in January 2017. The first single from the album, "Overgrown", was released in March 2017. The band spent the first half of 2017 touring, supporting Australian acts such as

Tash Sultana Taj Hendrix "Tash" Sultana (born 15 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music producer, described as a " one-person band". Sultana rose to international prominence with their 2016 single "Jungle", which was ...

The Cat Empire The Cat Empire are an Australian jazz/funk band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1999. For most of the band's duration, the core members were Felix Riebl (lead vocals, percussion), Harry James Angus (trumpet, vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), ...

and

Xavier Rudd Xavier Rudd (born 29 May 1978) is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and multi-instrumentalist. Several of Rudd's songs incorporate socially conscious themes, such as spirituality, humanity, environmentalism and the rights of Indigen ...

across Australia, as well as playing festivals such as The Hills Are Alive and

Groovin' The Moo Groovin the Moo is an annual music festival that was held primarily in regional centres across Australia. The festival was held during autumn, typically in May of each year. Groovin the Moo was established by Cattleyard Promotions and their f ...

locally in

Maitland Maitland may refer to: Places *Maitland, New South Wales, Australia **City of Maitland, a local government area * Maitland, South Australia, Australia * Maitland, Tasmania, Australia * Maitland, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada * Maitland, Ontari ...

. They would then announce their largest Australian tour to date to take place in August and September; they sold-out shows across Australia and New Zealand, including two nights at The Metro Theatre in Sydney. In August 2017, Ocean Alley released "The Comedown" as the second single from ''Chiaroscuro''. The single was premiered by Linda Marigliano on

triple j Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

Good Nights on 8 August. The song would go on to be the band's biggest release to date, charting at number 48 on the

Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll presented by the publicly-funded Australian youth radio station Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Music of Australia, Australian and alternative music of th ...

in January 2018. on 4 February 2018, Ocean Alley premiered their single "Confidence" with Richard Kingsmill on

. The track was officially released on 6 February 2018, alongside the announcement of their studio album ''

''. ''Chiaroscuro'' was released on 9 March and charted at No. 15 on the ARIA Charts. In support of the release, the band announced headline shows in Australia and North America, as well as being announced to play the

Groovin' the Moo Groovin the Moo is an annual music festival that was held primarily in regional centres across Australia. The festival was held during autumn, typically in May of each year. Groovin the Moo was established by Cattleyard Promotions and their f ...

festival nationally and Splendour in the Grass 2018. "Confidence" topped the

2019–2020: ''Lonely Diamond''

On 22 February 2019, Ocean Alley released "Stained Glass", the first single from the band's forthcoming third studio album. The band said Stained Glass' is the first song we have written since the release of ''Chiaroscuro'' and began, as most of our songs do, with a chord and vocal idea for a verse that Baden envisioned. "We recorded and mixed the track at the Grove Studios over two sessions with a focus on guitar tone and interwoven guitar parts - as has always been a staple in our production." On 28 April 2020, Ocean Alley premiered their new single "Hot Chicken" on

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

and announced their third studio album ''Lonely Diamond'', released on 19 June 2020. The album peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Chart.

2021–2022: ''Low Altitude Living''

On 17 November 2021, Ocean Alley released "Touch Back Down", the first track from the band's forthcoming fourth studio album, ''Low Altitude Living'', which the band describes as being "more fun and a bit more playful". The album title was announced on 14 September 2022 along with the release of the third single, "Home". ''Low Altitude Living'' was released on 14 October 2022. On 1 January 2024, band member Lach Galbraith publicly apologised after he was caught shoplifting at a hunting and fishing store in Queenstown,

. The band was in New Zealand at the time to perform at the Rhythm & Alps music festival.

2023: Resurgence of "Confidence"

In November 2023, Ocean Alley’s 2018 track "

" experienced a resurgence on TikTok, reaching millions of new fans worldwide. The song became a popular soundtrack for the ''Behind Every Girl'' trend, as well as glow-ups and other content celebrating confidence and happiness. The track returned to the top 40 on the

ARIA In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

Singles Chart in late November. The song entered the U.K's Independent Single Breakers Chart, at number 19.

2024–present: ''Love Balloon''

On 9 October 2024, Ocean Alley released “Tangerine”, the lead single from their forthcoming fifth studio album. This marked their first new music in two years following the release of their fourth studio album, ''Low Altitude Living''. The track gained significant recognition, placing #15 in the 2024

. Ocean Alley embarked on an extensive world tour, performing across Australia, North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The tour featured multiple sold-out shows, including performances at

O2 Victoria Warehouse The O2 Victoria Warehouse is a live music venue in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. The venue is made up of two storage warehouses used during the early to mid-20th century. It was redeveloped as a music venue in 2 ...

in Manchester and Roundhouse in London. The band also headlined several major music festivals, including

Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...

. On 2 December 2024, they announced their biggest headline show to date, a one-night performance at

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...

in London. On 10 February 2025, Ocean Alley announced their 2025 North America Tour with the band embarking on their biggest North American run, covering the US and Canada in July and October. On 11 February 2025, the band released "Left of the Dealer". On 5 March 2025, Ocean Alley announced their collaboration with

Coopers Brewery Coopers Brewery Limited, the largest Australian-owned brewery, is based in the Adelaide suburb of Regency Park, South Australia, Regency Park. Coopers is known for making a variety of beers, the most famous of which are its pale ale and sparkl ...

for a limited-edition pale ale. Described as "a sessionable tropical pale ale that will set you and your best mates up for sunny afternoons that roll into balmy nights". The beverage is available for limited time at bottle shops and pubs across Australia. In April 2025, the band headlined the final edition of

Bluesfest Byron Bay The Byron Bay Bluesfest, formerly the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, is an annual Australian music festival that has been held over the Easter long weekend in the Byron Bay, New South Wales, area since 1990. The festiva ...

. On June 4th 2025, Ocean Alley announced their fifth studio album, ''Love Balloon'', scheduled for release on 19 September 2025 via Community Music. The announcement was accompanied by the release of the album’s title track, “Love Balloon,” which presents a “infectious grooves with bright, soulful and deliriously loved-up lyricism”. This single follows earlier releases from the album, including “Tangerine” and “Left Of The Dealer” . Keyboardist and vocalist Lachlan Galbraith described the album as an exploration of the multifaceted nature of love, stating: “Not just the cinematic kind where you’re falling head over heels. The full spectrum; joy, hurt, discomfort and disappointment. Let’s call it the river of love – whether it’s with a partner, a friend, or family, you’ll never know when it’ll get deep, go shallow, or suddenly change course. It’s such a force that you have to just surrender to its current” . On the back of the album announcement, on June 17 the band announced their 2026 Tour for Australia and New Zealand, marking their first headline tour in the market since 2023.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Other certified songs

Notes

Impact

According to Conor Lochrie of ''

Beats Per Minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

'', Ocean Alley are "beloved in their home nation" and "have been on a steady incline to the summit of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

" since their formation in 2011. He additionally credits their success to their "upbeat and hazy style eingembraced by both the festival crowd and the commercial mainstream." Ocean Alley have been cited as an influence by various Australian bands, including

Archie Archie or Archy is a given name, almost exclusively masculine, and a diminutive of Archibald, which is derived from the Germanic ''ercan'', meaning “ genuine”, and ''bald'', meaning “ bold.” It has been in use as an independent given nam ...

South Summit The South Summit is a subsidiary peak of Mount Everest in the Himalayas between the South Col (at ) and the main summit (at ) above sea level. Although the South Summit's elevation of is higher than the second-highest mountain on Earth ( K2 at ...

, and

the Rions The Rions are an Australian four-piece indie rock band from the Northern Beaches, New South Wales. The band consists of Noah Blockley (lead vocals, bass guitar), Harley Wilson (guitar), Asher McLean (guitar), and Tom Partington (drums). In 2021, ...

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, ''Low Altitude Living'' , Best Independent Rock Album or EP , , , - , rowspan="2",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, "Tangerine" , Independent Song of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - ,

Nick Didia Nick DiDia is an American record producer, engineer and mixer currently residing in Australia. He has lived and worked in Los Angeles and later Atlanta before moving to Byron Bay, Australia. Since the early 1990s, he has amassed over 40 millio ...

for "Tangerine" , Independent Producer of the Year ,

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the

industry. ! , - ! scope="row",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, "

" ,

Song of the Year A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usually ...

, , , - ! scope="row",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, '' Lonely Diamond'' ,

Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sever ...

, ,

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwri ...

to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - ! scope="row",

, "Confidence" , Rock Work of the Year , , , - ,

, "Touch Back Down" , Most Performed Alternative Work of the Year , , , -

J Award

The

J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J, and which also extend to sister stations, Triple J Unearthed and Double J. The awar ...

are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

's youth-focused radio station

. They commenced in 2005. ! , - ! scope="row",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, ''

'' , Australian Album of the Year , ,

Rolling Stone Australia Awards

The

Rolling Stone Australia Awards The ''Rolling Stone Australia'' Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. The awards initially commenced i ...

are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. ! , - , 2021 , "Way Down" , Best Single , , , - , 2025 , Ocean Alley , Rolling Stone Global Award , , , -

References

{{Authority control 2011 establishments in Australia Australian alternative rock groups Australian psychedelic rock music groups Musical groups established in 2011 Musical groups from Northern Beaches