INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH TO OCTAVIA
Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Melbourne alternative heavy rock group To Octavia have released their debut album ‘Melodrama’. The young band comprises of Merry Kirk-Holmes (vocals), Justin Keurntjes (guitar), Nav Jay (guitar) and Lucas Keurntjes (drums) have delivered a cohesive 12 song record about the daunting melodrama of life: the struggles and triumphs of being in a band.
The band To Octavia has been releasing their own independent music since 2018 when their song ‘After All’ announced their arrival on Australia’s heavy music scene. Over the last seven years, the band have been crafting excellent EPs such as ‘Wonderland’ and ‘Somewhere In A World, Not Of The Dream’. Now, To Octavia, are moving into a new phase of their musical lives with the release of their debut album, ‘Melodrama’.
“The album is a way of looking at life,” said Merry Kirk-Holmes. “It’s like a performance. The album is a reflection of our performance world and our stage. It’s a place where we can write our story. It helps that as a band we are all bringing the energy – different energy – and recording it together. The songs and the album have become an organism that we exist in. We each give 100% of ourselves to writing and recording but it only makes up part of the whole 100% of the album”.
“There was lots of emotion in the members of our band going into this album,” explained Justin Keurntjes. “I love songwriting. I love creating guitar melodies. The band were great at contributing and having these guys behind me meant I knew we were taking the right path with this album. Writing became therapeutic and a way for us to release the emotions we had been carrying. That culminated and came out heavier and darker than anything we have released in a while”.
Justin Keurntjes stated, “It’s surreal to think the album will be out in public. It has taken so much work. We have slowly built it up – building and building – since 2022. It’s been a three-year journey and it has been daunting”. “Yes,” agreed Merry Kirk-Holmes. ‘It has been daunting. The band has done all this work: written, recorded and mastered songs and then what do you do with them?”.
Well, celebrate the fact that an album of fine songs including ‘Something In The Water’, ‘Talk Is Cheap’, ‘What’s My Name’, ‘Bury Me’ and ‘Adore’ arrives on Samhain. “We are an independent band,” stated Merry Kirk-Holmes. “But the first thing we are going to do is have a big party. Then, hold an album launch. Then, we are going to tour the album in the new year in 2026”.
“This time we will plan the touring,” said Justin Keurntjes. “No more sleeping on floors, in cars or making mistakes like in 2019 when we thought we could save on accommodation when we were performing a gig in Brisbane, by staying up all night out in The Valley and then get to the airport and home. This time there will be accommodation”. 2019 sounded very rock ‘n’ roll!
Through their album ‘Melodrama’, To Octavia have overcome many hurdles to make a record of an event: a band making music together. It’s not an easy process. “You have to do things for the love of it,” Justin Keurntjes quietly stated. “Don’t let anything prevent you from doing what makes you happy. Songwriting makes me happy”.
“We only have one chance to live each day the way we want to and once it’s in the past, you can’t get it back,” said Merry Kirk-Holmes emphatically. “Life is a melodrama but you can write your own story. Our album is our performance and life”. The songs on ‘Melodrama’ embrace the big questions about life: our ability to destroy what we love and the painful question of whether love is enough to endure the hurt we inflict on ourselves and others within melodic rock sonic soundscapes with big breakdowns.
To Octavia’s debut album ‘Melodrama’ is released on All Hallow’s Eve and it’s truly independent. See the band’s website: To Octavia and support this independent Australian band.
