“What’s My Name?” feels raw and full of urgency — almost like a demand to be heard. What was the spark that lit this track, and how did it evolve in the writing room?
‘For me it came with the chorus, it was a callout to all the frustrations and confusion I feel hearing about catastrophes abroad. The victims of atrocities become nameless, even with the details in the news. It’s not political, it’s personal, as I was inspired by the frustration I feel trying to highlight these issues with people who don’t care. It’s my attempt to (albeit vaguely) convince them that these issues are important no matter how much it stings to acknowledge them.’
You’ve described the song as channeling frustrations with the state of the world. Was there a particular moment, event, or feeling that tipped this into music, rather than just anger?
‘I would say the concept of “What’s My Name?” originated with my own contempt of people claiming to know me, that don’t know my name, let alone could deadname me. But with the state of the world it evolved into an anthem for people fighting for, and marching for, peoples around the world who stand up for the nameless victims of cruel regimes.’
To Octavia has always been known for blending heaviness with melody — but on MELODRAMA the darker tones feel more unapologetic. How did you decide to push further into that heavier space?
‘Really, the heaviness of MELODRAMA comes from our mental states while writing. It’s as simple as that. We were angry and hurt and sad and all of those things during the writing process. We wanted to make an album that represented us as a collective at this specific point in time, and this is the result. It’s darker, heavier, and more of a middle finger up to everyone than we’ve ever felt brave enough to do.’
Working again with Chris Lalic, who knows your sound inside out, must give you both comfort and challenge. How did he shape the sonic landscape of this record compared to your past releases?
‘I would say this was the release he was most “hands-off” with, in terms of writing. We came to Lalic with more songs almost fully formed than we ever had before and I think just having him there for guidance was a tool in our belt that we exploited as much as possible, while being able to completely maintain our own vision and concepts for the album.’
Nav Jay officially joined the fold during this album cycle. How has his addition changed the band dynamic, both creatively and personally?
‘Nav joining gave us a wholly outside perspective which we had never had before internally of course. It’s been a pleasure getting that perspective and working with it. We couldn’t have done what we have with MELODRAMA without him.’
Your journey from Somewhere in a World, Not of the Dream through Wonderland to MELODRAMA feels like a steady escalation in conviction. Looking back, what do you think you’ve shed or outgrown as a band to get here?
‘What we’ve shed is worrying about what will sell, or what songs will be the most popular. We have just pushed forward the tunes that we like and have made an album with which none of us can agree on a best song. It’s a smorgasbord of bangers that we love, and all we can hope is that our fans love them too.’
Merry, your vocal contribution to Sonic Frontiers reached a global audience far beyond the alternative scene. Did that experience influence how you approached writing and performing on this record?
‘The short answer is no. The longer answer is that writing to a criteria set for you, is a LOT easier than coming up with the concept by yourself. So writing for the album was a complete ordeal compared to writing for the Frontiers theme song.’
With triple j support, festival appearances, and now over a million Spotify streams, you’re steadily carving out a national and international footprint. Do you feel the momentum building differently around MELODRAMA compared to past releases?
‘Yes, it has been such an unexpectedly successful release so far. Only unexpected in the way that the releases have done far better than we ever could have hoped. We are so incredibly grateful to our fans and all new listeners for consuming To Octavia this way.’
The title MELODRAMA suggests heightened emotion, tension, and maybe even theatre. What does that word mean to To Octavia, and how does it tie the whole record together?
‘The record is a series of stories all filled with heightened emotions, drama, conflict, and resolution. Therefore, “MELODRAMA” perfectly encapsulates the energy of the album from start to finish.’
