In our 100th instalment of “Stumbled Upon”, we meet Chris Athorne a.k.a Oktoba from Brighton, and chat about his latest solo musical adventure, touring America and his latest album, Smoke Signals.
Musician:
Oktoba.
Website/Social Media:
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Genre:
Folk, Pop.
Members & their roles:
Oktoba is the project of Brighton based singer-songwriter Chris Athorne. Chris blends alternative folk, pop and americana together with his music and honest story telling.
What music or artists inspired you?
At the time when I started to learn the guitar and really embrace playing music I was really into the surf folk scene. Artists like The Beautiful Girls and Mason Jennings, but mainly and more dominantly, it was the early albums by Jack Johnson and Ben Harper that really inspired me. It was a style that I hadn’t really heard up until that point and there was something amid the folky, acoustic blues sounds that really resonated with me. Since then, my music has taken on new dimensions and naturally new inspirations have come and gone. But still, some artists that continue to inspire me are Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Ryan Adams, The Staves, Otis Redding and Nathaniel Ratliff.
How did you get started?
For just under five years I was performing with my old band called This Boy Wonders. We had some good times, some little victories and it was amazing. Played Reading and Leeds Festival, sold out shows in London and had some iTunes success going to Number 1 in France on the Rock album chart.
But it got to a time where the band went a bit flat and to which I wasn’t really developing as a writer. At that point I knew that I wanted to start a new project on my own. I had just moved to Brighton and decided I would start a fresh launching Oktoba as my new solo project. Heading away from the rockier blues sound of the band and heading back to my folk and acoustic roots.
How would you best describe your live show?
Intimate, acoustic, soulful, honest, relatable, story telling, powerful.
What shows do you have coming up?
I have just finished three months of dates of which I played around the UK and also over in America. The shows in the states included performances at The Rockwood Music Hall in New York and Sofar Sounds in Chicago. The next shows I have are yet to be announced, but they will be included in another tour early next year. So all I can say for now is check back in on the usual sites for those new dates soon.
Keep an eye on Facebook for more dates.
Tell us about your latest release:
Smoke Signals is my debut album that was released in Autumn 2015. I recorded it with producer Tim Bidwell at The Clockwork Owl Studio in Brighton. It’s an album that marks a period of time in my life. All of the songs were written within a year of each other so I really feel that as a body of work they all work well together. I was joined by a series of outstanding musicians and artist to play, sing and record with me on it too and I am so proud to have accomplished the sound that we have. It’s an album that is quite honest. Talking about love, life, family and even escape. I really try when writing to be able to connect with the listener and I think (I hope) I‘ve achieved that. But mainly, it’s a good feel album that echoes a lot of my musical influences.
Where can I get your music?
Smoke Signals is available to download on… iTunes & Amazon
—
Listen to ‘Stumbled Upon’ on AU Radio , Mondays at 8:30PM, Thursdays at 3PM and Sundays at 10AM (AEDT), or the playlist of past ‘Stumbled Upon’ artists on Soundcloud
———-
