We’ve all seen them. We all love them. We will never look at treadmills the same way again. Their videos are the pure definition of “viral” and they are constantly evolving not only their virtual fan base, but their sound which continues to mature with time like a fine wine. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Damien and Tim with OK Go at the Metro in Chicago, and they were everything I imagined they would be. Fun, entertaining and mustached (ok, maybe that last part was just Tim.) I was able to ask them about the process behind creating their critically acclaimed release Of the Blue Colour of the Sky and get a backstage look at what makes these guys tick. Check out what they had to say:
After the interview, I was invited to check out the show. I saw OK Go live years ago before the treadmill incident, so needless to say their fan base has grown exponentially since then. The show sold out (easily) and for good reason. Besides the great music spanning their entire collection, crowds were treated to light-up fuzzy guitars with lasers, scrolling marquee blazers, up-close cameras on every microphone and a retro video collection to coincide with the rocking out. Needless to say, there was never a dull moment. If you get a chance to check them out, do so. Their show was incredible and has grown to epic proportions since I first saw them in their musical youth. Check out their tour so you can plan accordingly. Wouldn’t want to miss out on light-up fuzzy guitars with lasers, would you?
Listen to the album:
Buy the album:
Ok, we’re all familiar with these guys because of their epically fantastic viral video for “Here It Goes Again.” Their creativity and synchronized dancing on treadmills sky-rocketed them to super-stardom the world round with viewers in the millions. They’ve always had a sort of indie-rockness to their style, but they continue to improve (and enhance) their music with each album, and Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is no different.
Fans of the more popular album Oh No might be thrown off by the shift in style on the new album. Not because the songs no longer whisper the essence of Ok Go, but because they actually scream the essence of Ok Go. You can tell the band decided to make an album where they could do whatever they wanted to do, and now that they are established world-wide thanks to YouTubes, they really can do whatever they want to do.
Most artists fall into the trap of being characterized as one thing and then getting stuck playing that one thing their whole lives. They don’t evolve or make moves to be unique. Ok Go has continually evolved not only as artists, but as entertainers, and I have to say that they’ve won my heart with their latest installment.
On Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, you’ll find songs closer in style to MGMT or TV on the Radio with a blend of catchy beats combined with retro synthesizers. The songs are more dramatic and unpredictable than previous albums, but offer a wide range of intensity from dance club to coffeehouse (in a figurative sense.) But they haven’t lost their “catchy”. Ok Go will always be the guys that get the song stuck in your head. The first single off of the album “WTF” is extremely addicting with an equally addicting music video. WARNING: Don’t watch this if crazy psychedelic colors and flashy videos give you a headache or some equally not as awesome affliction.
Pick up the single “WTF?” below:
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