Q&A: Getting to Know Owl Eyes

Owl Eyes has been impressing both blogosphere and real world inhabitants with every tune she creates and anyone who's been to a live show knows that singer Brooke Adammo is a heart melter. In the lead up to her first headline tour we chat to her about keeping busy, going on tour, collaborating with other artists and bird flu.

How did Owl Eyes begin? Owl Eyes as it is now really began when I starting working with Jan [Skubieszewski, Jackson Jackson] and wrote my first EP. Everything started to fall into place, and I had a clear vision in my head on how I wanted to move forward from there. I became Owl Eyes and the rest is history.

How will Owl Eyes end? Bird flu.

What tunes are you digging right now? I’m really loving Seekae, Parades and James Blake are on high rotation for me at the moment.

Your new track is called Raiders. When you get the munchies what do raid from the fridge? Anything that fits on a teaspoon, mainly Nutella and peanut butter.

You’ve again teamed up with Jan on this track. What makes you work so well together? We come from really different musical back grounds but somehow meet in the middle. I think Jan just really gets me and my direction.

You’ve got a new EP out in a couple of months, less than a year after releasing your debut Faces. Do you need a bucket to carry around all these songs falling out of your head? Ha! No I wish, EP’s are really short and fun. An EP doesn’t hold as much pressure for me compared to an album. I am starting an album next and I’m actually a bit nervous! I think I’d better start writing now – so many more songs needed!

Are you finding it hard working at such a frantic pace? No not really. When you’re in something it doesn’t feel fast or frantic, you kind of just go with the flow. It’s not until the end of the year when you reflect and think, ‘Wow I really did a lot this year!’

Last year you collaborated with Sydney MC Illy for I Can Wait. Are you a closet hip hop fan? What’s your favourite hip hop tune? Jan is from a hip hop back ground so when we got together we worked a lot on beats and I started to listen to a bit more hip hop. I am a really big fan of (along with most other people) Kanye West and at parties my favourite tune to drop is 99 problems! I’m really loving Illy’s new single The Chase at the moment, it’s my favourite off his album.

Are there any other Aussie artists out there you’d love to work with? So many!! I love Australian music, I think we have a great thing going on here! I absolutely adore my friend Christian [O’Brien]’s band Alpine and have done a few little writings with him. I really like a Melbourne band called Otouto. I think they would be fun to do some stuff with, or Flight Facilities.

What else is in store for 2011? I’m supporting Darwin Deez on their east coast tour then heading out on my own national single launch tour starting May 20. Then in between more shows I’ll get a start on my debut album.

Catch Owl Eyes live on 27th May @ Can't Say, Melbourne and on 3rd June @ Purple Sneakers presents: Last Night. For the full tour list see HERE.