Q&A: Oil Boom

In need of new hilarious, yet multifaceted band to claim as your favorite? The psych-leaning rock and roll band Oil Boom from Dallas, TX is your answer. The other day we caught up with the band for a Q&A about their new album, writing process, overstock.com rugs and more. Check it out below and get to know the band:

BTS: Having listened to your previous work, it’s evident you guys are influenced by classic rock and roll — your songs aren’t overflowing with synth boards. Why do you think it’s important to still make music like this in a world obsessed with EDM-type artists?

OB: I try not to get too hung up on the genre/medium descriptors involved in creating music, because it’s a slippery ass slope. I remember people in my parent’s generation treating the rise of rap like it was the scourge of humanity. And one of the things they would literally say between espousing various suburban adult clichés was, “They’re not playing instruments! It’s not even music!” Rap was the most subversive thing to ever come down the pop culture pipeline. Same with its Satan-worshiping counterpart, heavy metal. Cut to 25 years later and Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart have their own cooking series together and Ozzy Osbourne has a history-centric road trip show with his son. That’s a longwinded way of saying, to me, there is no such thing as real or not real music. If it’s music to you, then that’s all that matters*. If we knew how to successfully incorporate synth boards and theremin and Amazon Echo into our classic rock pastiche, we would absolutely do it.

BTS: Terribility is set to release on October 20th. What is one thing you’d like for listeners to take away from the album?

OB: One thing would be that this album took forever to make, so it would be super tight if folks could forego the CliffsNotes version and listen to the whole dumb thing in its entirety.  But if not, that’s cool too. It’s hard to stay engaged with anything these days what with all the newfangled gadgets and thingamajigs seductively beckoning from overstock.com. I just bought a super elegant rug on there last week for way cheap**.

BTS: How was the writing process for this album different or the same from Red Metal (your previous release)?

It was pretty much the exact same, right down to the passive-aggressive infighting over the album sequencing. And that may sound incredibly unambitious, but it works for us. We might switch it up for the next one though, just so we have a better answer for this question.

BTS: Let’s talk gear. What is your favorite thing you have in your arsenal, whether it’s an entire pedalboard or a single instrument or…?

OB: Out of all the musicians I know and have played with, I’m probably the least qualified to talk about gear. Any time someone asks me a gear related question, I freeze up immediately and my hands and feet start to sweat. I just flat out have never taken the time to learn the ins and outs of any of my own instruments/pedals. That’s not to say I’m not interested. I’m very interested. I just have no idea what I’m talking about. It’d be like trying to listen to Ace Frehely talk about metaphysics, or anything really.

But I do know my favorite thing in the entire band arsenal is Steve’s 80s BC Rich ivory Warlock bass. He used it a bunch on this record (ex. “By Degrees”) and every time he unsheathed it, I found myself staring at it longingly. It looks like something a Norse warrior might use in the 10th century to avenge the death of his father or to cook sheep intestines on.

BTS: You’ve played shows with big names like Social Distortion (which is incredible, so congrats to you guys)! Who would be on the bill for your “dream” tour and why — whether you’re the headliner or the opener?

OB: Thanks! Those were some incredible shows. I just kind of chuckled to myself thinking about your question though, because even in my dream scenario we are always the opener. You’d think I could dream bigger, but no!

I’ll try and answer for the rest of the band first. I think if Dugan had his way, we would probably be the headliner and every band on Earth would open for us, while he laughed maniacally backstage, which has a certain undeniable, albeit sinister, logic to it. For Steve, opening for Metallica is the definite pack leader, though I imagine he would want to forego any contest related requirements. Zach would probably like to open for some Swedish Goth noise band none of the rest of us have heard of…yet. Let’s call them Märäüder.

For myself, I’ve always wanted to open for my Dad’s band, but that would require an overstock.com priced flux capacitor. His band was called The Demons and they played one show at the local American Legion Hall in 1967. I’d probably mix some inside me-and-Dad jokes into the stage banter and years later I would spill the beans during a casual Monday Night Football conversation. “Hey, do you remember that guy telling all those weird, seemingly inside jokes that one time your band played?  Well…that was me!” And then he would probably spit Miller Lite all over his brand new granite countertops.

For us collectively though, I’ll go with ZZ Top. Even Dugan would be stoked about that. I think we all have Eliminator related questions that, quite frankly, deserve answers.

BTS: What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given as a band (whether professionally or personally)? Additionally, what is one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out?

OB: I’ve actually never been asked this before and I feel like it set off a minor existential crisis. The most fun you will ever have in a band is the first time you make it through a full song together. After that, it’s basically a wash. The highs are unbelievably high and the lows are really low. That sounds depressing, but it’s basically a good metaphor for life in general. I think the more you can just stay in the moment and not overwhelm yourself with trying to reach a certain plateau or win over some turquoise jewelry wearing industry mover and shaker, the happier you will be. Basically, “just have fun out there and try not to get hurt too bad.”

The best advice I’ve ever been told was, “Don’t be in a band if you don’t want to be,” which came from my Mom. I haven’t taken her up on it yet, and don’t expect to, but it’s comforting to know I have options.

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*Editor’s note: we wholeheartedly agree with this. If you love it, who cares what genre it is. Music is music!

**Editor’s note: if you’re looking for a 10/10 decent rug, here’s your go-to. Oil Boom and BTS are here to help with your home renovation needs.

Stream Oil Boom’s discography below and get ready for the release of Terribility on October 20th: