Interview with the Australian Indie Rock Band Poison Oak

March 12, 2021

Interview with the Australian Indie Rock Band Poison Oak

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Poison Oak: I think our style is Indie Rock and we sort of capture a vintage 90’s sound with added addition of punk.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
PO: We don’t really think about that or set out to try and do that deliberately. If we do than that’s awesome, but that’s for the fans to decide.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
PO: Yeah I guess so…we mainly focus on making music that we enjoy making and hope that other people enjoy it too. We are mainly in it to make ourselves happy.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
PO: I really have no idea to be honest. I guess so…everyone is different with different bands. I think it is important for bands to keep their privacy.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
PO: Definitely I would say, but I can only talk about my experience in Australia. New music in Australia is widely distributed on a radio station called Triple J, while other more “commercial stations” sort of play old hits. While in England and London have a lot more radio stations playing new music, rather than cliché classics I would say.

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
PO: Hmmm, yeah I really don’t know, perhaps…however it has always been for Aussie bands to appeal to the American audience.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
PO: Yeah, I believe it has become easier. However, perhaps, there is more quantity now, rather than quality.

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
PO: I guess one who sets honestly doesn’t really care what others think, hence setting the trend.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
PO: Yeah, I do believe there are a lot of bands out there that are really set to sticking to one sub-genre. This can be really constricting for creativity because they can’t leave this box.

CV: What can fans except to see coming next from you?
PO: We have our next single “Sarah” coming out on the 19^th of February and our EP, “1996”, coming out on the 19^th of March.

CV: Thanks again for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

Check out Poison Oak at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoisonOak123

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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.