Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, OMNI are typical of the new wave emanating from the south-east part of North America at the moment. Made up of members from Deerhunter, Warehouse, and Carnivores, their lo-fi sound is often bound between crooning and post-punk energy, coupling lyrics stem from self-indulging journeys of exploration both personal and universal questions.
Speaking of questions, that is exactly what RobMoro asked the band ahead of their show in Whelan’s. Currently in the UK for a run of dates beforehand, I ask them how it’s going so far with fans getting to hear “Deluxe” on the continent for the first time since its release last year; “Tour has been great. We’re having a lot of fun. Getting to hang out with our friend George who drives us in the EU/UK is one of our greatest joys in life. Very much looking forward to our first time as a band in Ireland. We’re stoked.”
As if touring that album wasn’t quite a task already, the band will be preparing shows with a new record, “Multi-task” on the way. OMNI recently released the video for punchy, lo-fi single ‘Southbound Station’ which features on the new release. The video features the bands performing with projections of “MARTA, the public transport system in Atlanta.” they tell me. The band made the video by themselves at their practice space and edited it afterwards.
“I do think we definitely upped the fidelity a bit this time”
OMNI’s sound so far on “Multi-task” keeps in touch with the lo-fi indie aspect of their debut, “Deluxe”. Did any tracks from the first album spill over onto the new record? “All of the songs on ‘Multi-task’ were written/demoed after we recorded ‘Deluxe’. The writing process wasn’t drastically different. Feels like a natural progression. I do think we definitely upped the fidelity a bit this time… while still retaining a bit of a lo-fi sound. We’re learning.”
The band’s second album comes quite soon after their first release, a year to be precise. There is a sense of urgency about what OMNI want to achieve with those quick releases and regular tours; “I think so. It’s not really something that we’re conscious of but it’s nice getting things done and moving on to the next project. I’m trying to work faster. I’d like to be more prolific. We all met playing shows in Atlanta. It’s a nice place. Honestly, we haven’t spent much time at home this year. When we have been home, we end up just kind of waiting for the next tour to begin.”
Being on tour a lot probably has its advantages when it comes to being a tourist for a couple of hours. For the band, is there anything they think stands out over the past few weeks? ”Ah I guess it depends on how we’re feeling. It’s nice getting to explore whatever city we’re in if there’s time. There are times when we’ll just sit in a room for hours… resting our brains. We recently had a day off in Basel. Got to visit our friends design studio and grill sausages on a roof. It was fantastic.”
Moving forward, the band have already been busy in the build up to this record which is out next week. What is next for them will ultimately be a deserved break before hitting the road again? “The record comes out on the 22 September and the tour ends on the 25. We have a short, two week break in Atlanta and then we’re back on the road for a month. No real plans for the time off… I will try to sleep a lot.”
OMNI play Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin on Wednesday, 20 September.
RobMoro 
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, OMNI are typical of the new wave emanating from the south-east part of North America at the moment. Made up of members from Deerhunter, Warehouse, and Carnivores, their lo-fi sound is often bound between crooning and post-punk energy, coupling lyrics stem from self-indulging journeys of exploration both personal and universal questions.
Speaking of questions, that is exactly what RobMoro asked the band ahead of their show in Whelan’s. Currently in the UK for a run of dates beforehand, I ask them how it’s going so far with fans getting to hear “Deluxe” on the continent for the first time since its release last year; “Tour has been great. We’re having a lot of fun. Getting to hang out with our friend George who drives us in the EU/UK is one of our greatest joys in life. Very much looking forward to our first time as a band in Ireland. We’re stoked.”
As if touring that album wasn’t quite a task already, the band will be preparing shows with a new record, “Multi-task” on the way. OMNI recently released the video for punchy, lo-fi single ‘Southbound Station’ which features on the new release. The video features the bands performing with projections of “MARTA, the public transport system in Atlanta.” they tell me. The band made the video by themselves at their practice space and edited it afterwards.
OMNI’s sound so far on “Multi-task” keeps in touch with the lo-fi indie aspect of their debut, “Deluxe”. Did any tracks from the first album spill over onto the new record? “All of the songs on ‘Multi-task’ were written/demoed after we recorded ‘Deluxe’. The writing process wasn’t drastically different. Feels like a natural progression. I do think we definitely upped the fidelity a bit this time… while still retaining a bit of a lo-fi sound. We’re learning.”
The band’s second album comes quite soon after their first release, a year to be precise. There is a sense of urgency about what OMNI want to achieve with those quick releases and regular tours; “I think so. It’s not really something that we’re conscious of but it’s nice getting things done and moving on to the next project. I’m trying to work faster. I’d like to be more prolific. We all met playing shows in Atlanta. It’s a nice place. Honestly, we haven’t spent much time at home this year. When we have been home, we end up just kind of waiting for the next tour to begin.”
Being on tour a lot probably has its advantages when it comes to being a tourist for a couple of hours. For the band, is there anything they think stands out over the past few weeks? ”Ah I guess it depends on how we’re feeling. It’s nice getting to explore whatever city we’re in if there’s time. There are times when we’ll just sit in a room for hours… resting our brains. We recently had a day off in Basel. Got to visit our friends design studio and grill sausages on a roof. It was fantastic.”
Moving forward, the band have already been busy in the build up to this record which is out next week. What is next for them will ultimately be a deserved break before hitting the road again? “The record comes out on the 22 September and the tour ends on the 25. We have a short, two week break in Atlanta and then we’re back on the road for a month. No real plans for the time off… I will try to sleep a lot.”
OMNI play Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin on Wednesday, 20 September.
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