The Ocelots, brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson from Wexford, have released a new single- ‘Australia’. This is the third single from their upcoming album Everything, When Said Slowly, which is set to release on February 7.

Drawing on their indie-rock influences of The Shins and Kings of Leon, the single’s steady rhythm and gentle strings intertwine with emotionally driven vocals. The brothers take this gentle style and introduce poignant, personal themes of Irish migration, saying:

“We tried to capture that feeling of leaving and dealing with the self-adjustment involved. A certain apathy you grow to those you love around you when you know all you want to do is move. In our pursuit of writing something honest and cathartic, we created something many people can relate to.”

While touring Australia and Tasmania, the brothers were impacted by the number of people they had met who were living there for work. In ‘Australia’, they reflect upon the experience of touring.

The band say: “The song was the sum of scrapped and recycled parts, feelings and concepts. My first rule was to write something uncomfortably honest no matter what, regardless of whether it’s relatable. I’m an anxious sleeper, and sometimes I wake up dishevelled and the haziness doesn’t clear till later in the afternoon. I started documenting that experience, dropping in biographical clues into my songs.”

To celebrate the launch of Everything, When Said Slowly, The Ocelots have announced a tour of live shows across Ireland, the UK, and Germany- where they currently reside.

Listen to ‘Australia’ below, and click here for tour information: