After sharing the stage with UK giants Bloc Party and earning praise from Rolling Stone USA editor Brittany Spanos for their debut EP, Kaurna/Adelaide indie-grunge outfit Oscar The Wild took 2023 by storm. Now, without missing a beat, the quartet return to usher in a bold new era with their latest single, Roll With The Punches.
A rallying cry against the fleeting media attention given to stories of violence against women, Roll With The Punches stands as a defiant headline, delivered in vocalist Ruby’s raw and grounded tone. Each chorus acts as a collective shake of the head in disappointment, with the band’s signature harmony stacks echoing the lingering pain of stories that are often forgotten. Never has a chorus said more by saying less.
“This song has quite an ominous meaning,” explains Ruby. “I wrote this around the time of the Bondi Junction attack, when violence against women was declared a ‘national emergency’. After a week the story left the news cycle, and the ‘issue’ was dropped.”
“The lyrics follow thoughts experienced during violent encounters, but can be understood by the collective perpetrators and victims alike. Despite horrible individual circumstances, there is a general feeling of repetition – it seems we constantly hear this same story, then conveniently forget until the next attack.”
The band are also releasing a polarising music video directed by Jon Luc D’Lima that follows Ruby running in the outer suburbs of Adelaide. This ordinary activity soon turns dangerous, as the sun sets and an unknown hand takes them. “This is a very real nightmare for most women, trans and non-binary people, and is a risk we take whenever we step out the door,” explains Ruby.
Produced, mixed & mastered by Rhys Williams who also produced the band’s debut EP ‘She’ll Be Right’, Roll With The Punches continues an extremely fruitful year for Oscar The Wild. So far 2024 has seen them embark on a national headline tour, share the stage with acts like The Grogans, Sly Withers and smol fish and more recently, deliver another blistering performance at BIGSOUND.
To celebrate yet another impressive release, Oscar The Wild are set to hit the road this October, launching Roll With The Punches at six exciting venues across the country – TICKETS HERE.
OSCAR THE WILD – ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES TOUR
Tickets via www.oscarthewildmusic.com
October 3 – Cry Baby, Adelaide SA (free show)
October 6 – Semaphore Music Festival, Semaphore SA
October 11 – Hamilton Station Hotel, Newcastle NSW
October 12 – Botany View Hotel, Sydney NSW
October 18 – Crown & Anchor, Adelaide SA (supporting Suzi)
October 19 – The Old Bar, Melbourne VIC
October 25 – The Bearded Lady, Brisbane QLD
With thanks to Habit Music
