What began as a deeply personal diary entry has evolved into one of OH! Daisy’s most emotionally explosive songs yet. With ‘Just Say’, the Melbourne punk outfit pushes further into vulnerability, pairing raw honesty with soaring intensity. We caught up with Bambi O’Kelly, Nick Dordevic and Emma Friday to talk about the song’s origins, Australian gothic visuals, unforgettable live moments and where the band is heading next.
‘Just Say’ began as a diary style piece before evolving into an anthem for anyone who’s felt they had to beg for the bare minimum in a relationship. What was the turning point that transformed it into the song we hear today?
Bambi O’Kelly: There’s a beauty the band have always found in saying the most unhinged thoughts, knowing that someone somewhere will relate. Finding a way of relaying that feeling of craziness and isolation you feel when you’re in that kind of relationship in such a literal, upfront and unsettling way was such an exciting exploration for us. The second we realised that we had to scream that whole chorus the way it feels, with our whole chest, was the moment we knew we’d cracked it.
Bambi, you’ve said, “You shouldn’t need to beg someone for more for the rest of your life.” Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired those words, and how difficult was it to revisit those emotions while writing?
Bambi O’Kelly: I find songwriting and performing incredibly cathartic. It’s been so nice the way this song has allowed me to reflect and heal. Some songs are difficult, and I think this is one of those ones that just flowed out of me. I knew what needed to be done, and I was so glad to get it out of my system.
Your music balances vulnerability with an explosive punk energy. How do you decide when a song needs to be delicate and when it needs to lose control completely?
Nick Dordevic: A big part of approaching our chaotic and heavy energy has been trying to find the right moments to show that side of our sound, but also not relying on it to push us forward. The song really needs to call for the crash out for us to go there, because I feel like that mirrors how these feelings actually come across in our lives. It’s more honest somehow.
Emma, you directed the ‘Just Say’ video yourself. What inspired the Australian gothic aesthetic, and were there any films, photographers or artists that influenced the visual direction?
Emma Friday: Bambi and I got together to brainstorm, and ultimately decided to use a setting that would allow us to explore a visual style that sits outside our genre. A punk band from the city, basically playing these Australian gothic characters intermittently. We used those personas to tell a story, as if the rest of the band were these ghostly spirits, frantically and expressively moving around Bambi, who feels they are pent up with feelings they cannot express.
Personally, my biggest references for the visuals were Picnic at Hanging Rock, Days of Heaven by Terence Malick, the visual universe of Nick Cave, as well as the Australian outback in general. Growing up I spent a lot of time in the Victorian countryside, soaking in both the landscapes and the melancholic, gothic paintings I saw in art galleries.
OH! Daisy has been building a reputation for unforgettable live shows. What’s the wildest or most memorable moment you’ve experienced on stage so far?
Bambi O’Kelly: Recently we did a secret show for our friends and family at The Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy. It was an opportunity for us to trial our new set in a space that felt safe, and we also used it to showcase and celebrate all of the physical media artists that are a part of our family. It ended up being a huge celebration of everything we have achieved so far, with over 100 people turning up on a secret Tuesday night. I truly believe it was one of the best sets we’ve ever played. It felt crazy to pull that off.
Sappy answer aside, there have also been times where Izzy has played her guitar on the ceiling above the stage and broken her fingers. She’s the real trooper who gives our live shows that rock and roll spirit.
You’ve shared stages with artists like Keli Holiday, DZ Deathrays, Sly Withers, Origami Angel and Cry Club. Which support slot taught you the most about being a band, and why?
Bambi O’Kelly: Earlier in the year we got to jump on a small run of the Playlunch regional shows around Victoria. They have such an electric audience and energy as a band. More than anything, those shows inspired us to leave it all out on stage every set.
As a support band it’s easy to forget that you’re warming up the crowd, and that means you’ve got to sell it. Those crowds were packed into small rooms that felt like arenas, and we wanted to give them a show to match that energy no matter how long we’d driven to get there.
Your debut EP, It’s Okay I’m Ugly Too, tackled themes of insecurity, identity and emotional chaos. How has your songwriting evolved since that release, and what does ‘Just Say’ reveal about where OH! Daisy is heading next?
Bambi O’Kelly: I think if the EP was us baring our skin, Just Say is us showing our guts and bones. It is something even more unhinged and more raw that we’ve been working towards for a long time, and we’re still excitedly exploring that direction in what comes next. It set a new gold standard for us.
There’s a theatrical quality to everything OH! Daisy creates, from the music to the visuals and live performances. How important is storytelling to the band’s identity, and what do you want audiences to feel when they leave one of your shows?
Nick Dordevic: Storytelling is super important to us, but at the same time it can easily overpower a track if you let it. We’ve been focusing on conveying the feelings we want through our music while making sure subtlety remains a priority.
While we don’t shy away from darker and heavier themes, we always want to tell those stories in a relatable and realistic way. We might feel sad, angry and erratic, but that’s just one piece of a fuller picture. Being ourselves on stage and off helps with this, because coming across as the real people we are makes our music feel more genuine.
The chemistry within the band comes across as incredibly natural. Emma has described it as a “quasi psychic connection.” How does that creative relationship work in practice when you’re writing songs or developing concepts together?
Emma Friday: The first thing I noticed about being in this band is that we would often show up dressed in seamlessly complementary outfits without any planning. I laughed it off at first, but after a while the synchronicity of our live playing had me convinced some sort of cosmic fate was at play. It genuinely feels like this is the band I’m meant to be in.
If someone had never heard OH! Daisy before and ‘Just Say’ was the first song they played, what do you hope they would understand about the band by the time the final chorus fades out?
OH! Daisy: We aren’t afraid to show that we care a lot and that this means everything to us.
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