OHMME: Mutations Festival Interview

Celebrated as the ‘Heart of the Chicago Music Scene,’ Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham bring the sun to the UK just in time for their Mutations Festival set. The trio, joined by Matt Carroll, set the tone with atmospheric guitar riffs and and piercing feedback. The band showcase creative ingenuity as they produce music that is so distinctively their own. Before taking to the stage of the Festival, their first ever Brighton performance, Steward and Cunningham sit down with Emma Sherar to talk about the beginnings of OHMME, their recent UK tour and the reception to the release of their Debut Album ‘Parts.’

How excited are you to be playing mutations festival?

Stewart: ‘We are very excited. It’s our first time in Brighton. We are going to play and then walk down and grab a beer by the sea. We really want to get a little bit of that salt water into our lungs. We haven’t had a chance to look around Brighton as we just got in.

How did you decide to start making music together?

Stewart: ‘We went to the same High School actually. I was in bands with her younger brother and after she moved back from college in New York we were singing backup in a bunch of our friends bands, and I said that we should make this a thing and start making music together.’

Cunningham: ‘We were both inspired and wanted to experiment with guitars at the same time, so it started as a duo from there. It was a little bit more ambient and free at the beginning and then about two years ago we added Matt and we’ve been a trio and touring like that ever since.’

How do you come together to write your songs?

Cunningham: ‘A lot of the time we will write the core of the song alone and then bring it to each other and work out the arrangements for it to make it a fully fledged song. There a couple of songs on the new record that we wrote together by experimenting with different tones and guitar sounds. A lot of times we do the arranging as a group and that’s when it really becomes an OHMME song.

You released your Debut Album ‘Parts’ last year. How has the reception to that been?

Stewart: ‘It’s been really great. People have been incredibly excited about it and really responding to the tone and energy of the album. We didn’t really expect things to go like this. Especially in the UK, we’ve had a great time here. To be honest, we were a little intimidated by coming over here, but people have been really energetic and excited and we are really grateful for that.’

How does playing in the US compare to the UK?

Cunningham: ‘In the UK you all seem to be so full of energy and really committed to finding new bands. I feel like sometimes in the States people need to have something vouched for for them to check it out. In the UK you actively seek out bands that might spark your interest. I think the pub culture might help, people want to be out.’

How do you decide what songs to play for a shorter set?

Stewart: ‘You play the hits. Especially now the Album is out. Although sometimes that means there may be songs left out that you miss playing. For today we decided which ones we wanted to play pretty quickly.’

Cunningham: ‘I think everyone is drunk buzzed here, so I think we are going to play to that. The weathers so sunny as well, we were fully ready for rain. You are welcome for the sun, UK.’

What has been your favourite show to play in the UK?

Cunningham: ‘That’s really hard. They were all so new, that they’ve all felt amazing. It’s been incredible. I think there’s so many amazing things going on musically in places like Glasgow and Bristol and its really cool to have experienced that.’

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