When I first heard the Oshima brothers perform together in high school, they were just that — brothers. Bonded by blood and their love for music, even at a young age, their music and on-stage personalities were infectious. Now, the duo known as the Oshima Brothers in the indie-folk-pop music scene is making waves in Maine, and beyond.
It’s evident that Sean and Jamie’s creative partnership is overwhelmingly positive and, dare I say, magnetic. If you’ve listened to “These Cold Nights” or “Lost at Sea,” it’s evident how their music seemingly weaves together the talents of each brother to create a sound rich with harmonies, thoughtful lyricism and intricate chord progressions.
Sean and Jamie’s love for music started in the home, as their parents performed folk songs and encouraged their sons to make music, too. The recording that opens their EP “Dark Nights” was done on a cassette deck their parents gave the brothers when they were young.
The Oshima Brother’s new full-length album, “Dark Nights Golden Days,” released on April 1 pairs songs from the duo’s “Dark” EP and “Golden” EP, with four new tunes and three instrumentals.
Click the player below to listen to "Dark Nights Golden Days" on Spotify
While you may recognize some tracks on the album, like “Love Is Tall,” “The Afterglow,” and my personal favorite, “Dance With Me,” it will be a whole new experience for listeners. Jamie and Sean say they purposefully included tracks from the two EPs with new songs as their vision has always been to release from both EPs as a full-length, cohesive album.
“Put Your Phone Away” off of “Dark Nights Golden Days” is described as “the byproduct of the Oshimas’ music-making alchemy.” Sean presented the idea of the song to Jamie, who unearthed an abandoned instrumental track on an old hard drive that he matched with the lyrics and melody, and the rest is history.
I got a taste of their new album Thursday during a live-streamed concert. You can tell “Dark Nights Golden Days” was a labor of love for the pair and the album celebration was just that — a celebration. While the concert was virtual, the brothers made you feel like you were in the studio with them. The duo played the songs on the album in sequence and held a Q&A session with the virtual audience.
If you missed the virtual performance, the recording is available for the next 48 hours. You can purchase your access ticket on Mandolin.
With their album out — we wanted to know what’s next for the Oshima Brothers? Spectrum News Maine sat down with Sean and Jamie to talk shop, life on tour and what listeners can expect to hear from them in 2022:
Spectrum News: I remember you both being musically inclined in high school, when did you decide that you wanted to pursue a career in music?
Sean: It wasn’t really a decision that we made, it just happened. Though my brother Jamie was already touring nationally in high school.
SN: Do you think your upbringing on the midcoast had an impact on your sound?
Sean: Maine makes its way into so many of our songs. The coastline and cold water, the mountains, the forests where we grew up together. Much of the new record centers on the wilderness of Maine, but the music feels like it’s coming from a club on a city street.
SN: You’re described as an indie-folk-pop group, where do you draw inspiration from?
Jamie: I started playing drums to Beatles songs as a kid. We just found a video where I’m playing “Penny Lane” and I’m only 6. Since then, so much music has inspired me, these days we’re inspired by Bon Iver, Maggie Rogers, Leon Bridges, Ray LaMontagne, Remi Wolf… and so many more, it’s not funny.
SN: As brothers and bandmates what would you say your biggest challenge has been so far?
Sean: We try to resist the cliche of brothers who fight! We’re great friends, but we work at it. We often disagree and argue, but we’ve realized we’re much stronger together.
SN: Your music is very intricate, with layers of sound and vocals. What is your creative process from start to finish?
Sean: I usually start our songs off with vocals and guitar, simple stuff, lyrics come and melody. Then I bring the song to Jamie. He tells me what’s bad and we work on it, passing it back and forth.
Jamie: I produce, record and mix all of our songs, I play most of the instruments too. Once we’re happy with the lyrics, I just start trying things. It’s amazing how many different directions you can take a song. Tempo, instrumentation, key all come into play. I usually track guitars, synths, piano, drums, bass, vocals and anything else we think the song might need, like percussion or fiddle. I share the draft with Sean and we try different ideas until it feels finished.
SN: Jamie, the production for your new music video ‘Dance With Me’ is seamless. How long did it take you to film and edit the video? And did you lose any hair in the process?
Jamie: I’d guess over 100 hours. First, I conceptualized the idea and sketched out the shot list. Next, I built the dolly system for moving the camera smoothly and we choreographed the dance sequence. Then, we actually began shooting. We filmed most of it ourselves, Sean filming me and me filming him. Because there are so many cuts and different overlays every second of the video, it took forever. I think we were filming for a few months this winter. Then I had to edit it all together. It was a project of epic proportions, so, so hard to make, I’m pretty glad it’s done.
SN: Your album “‘Dark Nights Golden Days” is out now. What can listeners expect to hear from your new album?
Sean: Like a coin with two sides, we wrote “Dark Nights Golden Days” to explore life’s contrast with themes of dark times and golden (times), smiles and tears, forest fires and downpours. While the imagery centers on the wilderness of Maine, the music feels like it’s coming from a club on a city street. We release new songs as often as we can, but the goal with this album was always to create one long cohesive work.
SN: During the height of the pandemic, you hosted a number of live-streamed concerts. as it challenging to engage with an audience virtually?
Sean: It was a learning process for sure. We really wanted them to be high-quality, good sound and video but achieving that took a lot of time. It was really rewarding to hear from our fans who tuned in just how much having some live music meant to them in the depths of the pandemic. We still do them from time to time because it’s a great way to connect with folks who can’t make it to shows due to location or health.
SN: Did you guys pick up any pandemic hobbies? If so, do tell.
Sean: We got a house in Portland and began setting up a studio in the basement. We renovated the kitchen and got good and distracted with other projects. We also started cooking furiously. Family dinners nearly every night.
Jamie: We also have been doing yoga and hanging out with our dog, Cow.
SN: How does it feel to be back on tour?
Sean: It’s so great to be seeing the world again! I’m grateful to get to make eye contact with folks and sing songs on stage and create a community in a new place every night.
Jamie: Lots of hours driving, lots of bad art on hotel room walls.
SN: What is your go-to snack while on the road?
Sean: I’m obsessed with avocados and salami.
Jamie: I like good apples and cheddar.
SN: What's your favorite venue or place to play in Maine?
Jamie: Oh man, there’s no way to pick a favorite because there are way too many gorgeous places in Maine. From the glorious Camden Opera House to the Sheepscot General in our hometown of Whitefield to a big sold-out Portland show, every venue is uniquely cool.
SN: If you could pick one artist or group to collaborate with, who would it be and why?
Sean: I think I'd like to collaborate with an orchestra or maybe Billie Ellish.
Jamie: Paul McCartney, obviously.
SN: What other Maine-based bands or artists should people be listening to?
Jamie: Our friends' Palaver Strings are an incredible string ensemble. And Louisa Stancioff has the best voice ever.
SN: You’re very active on social media, especially on Instagram. Has that allowed you to cast a wider net of listeners?
Sean: No viral videos yet, but someday soon I suppose. I love to use social media to connect with friends and share art.
SN: What’s in store for the Oshima Brothers in 2022?
Sean: This album is a big project! But many, many concerts and more new music I’m sure.
Jamie: We decided to film, direct and edit a full-length album music video to go alongside our 17-track album. It’ll be done this spring!
You can stream "Dark Nights Golden Days" on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and YouTube Music.