Fronted by siblings Kurt and Katia Abela and with Janelle Borg, of Cryptic Street fame, writing the music, Oxygyn is the latest indie pop outfit to hit the local scene. Ramona Depares interviews two of its members.
Janelle BorgHow was Oxygyn born?
Janelle: Kurt and I met at De La Salle College Sixth Form. Kurt approached me when I was setting up a band for the yearly La Sallian Nights. Shortly afterwards, he showed me his original lyrics and we started collaborating. The first song we wrote together was called Ghosts. Then we proceeded to write about a dozen more. The formation of Oxygyn as an official duo came quite by coincidence. After a particular incident, we decided to record the song Corrode professionally and I quickly contacted Carl Tanti, the recording engineer, and Joanna Ciantar (pianist), and within a week, we finished everything.
How do you describe the sound that you’re after?
Kurt: We are aiming for a very unique sound. The primary focus of our songs will be the lyrical content and the music will reflect this. We want our music to express raw emotion, so whatever the song speaks about, whatever message it wants to deliver, it will have an accompanying sound. Our main focus is predominantly indie pop. However, we may venture into indie rock, depending on the particular song that is being composed.
Janelle, you are also involved in other music projects, most notably Cryptic Street. How are you juggling the requirements – and sounds – of the two projects? And how do they differ from each other?
Janelle: Oxygyn has been going on unofficially for two years, now. Cryptic Street and Oxygyn portray very different genres. In Cryptic Street, I work collaboratively on the music and lyrics with the other members, while in Oxygyn I am focused solely on the music as the main composer, with Kurt writing the lyrics. With Cryptic Street, we seek to experiment a lot with regards to our sound when we’re writing the songs. On the other hand, with Oxygyn, we usually have a clear idea where the song is going, sound wise.
How do you describe your first single, Corrode?
Kurt: Corrode was our attempt to have a simple, yet effective, start for the band. The song speaks of a relationship gone south, due to one half of the couple not committing enough emotion to the other person. And then there is the subsequent internal struggle after drifting apart. The sadness and guilt of the lyrics needed to take centre-stage and having only a piano to accompany the voices allowed such vulnerability to be displayed. We hoped that, through such an arrangement, listeners would engage with the song and connect to the emotion.
The primary focus of our songs will be the lyrical content and the music will reflect this
You work together with Kurt for the music composition – how does the process work? What happens when you have differing views?
Janelle: Kurt usually comes up with a general idea of the melody of some parts of the song. We evolve it together, after listening to several different songs and artists in order to inspire ourselves. It is usually a quick process. Writing the first draft of the song takes only half an hour, most of the time. Different opinions are helpful to produce a song which we are collectively proud of.
Katia AbelaWhat can you tell us about the writing process?
Kurt: The writing process has no clear-cut pattern; there are songs where the lyrics are written first, and others where the music is first composed. Nevertheless, the writing of the lyrics is always a turning point. I write the lyrics, and then we discuss their content so as to expose the meaning of the song, which is usually hidden behind metaphors and comparisons. Then, the music is composed or altered according to the lyrics, to achieve a distinct sound that would drive the aim of the song home.
Janelle, you are part of the band but not on the front line, so to speak – it must surely feel different to the usual? Is this the first time you are working solely on composition?
Janelle: I have always enjoyed writing music which might not necessarily fit for Cryptic Street’s style. Therefore, Oxygyn served as a channel for me to share the indie-pop songs which I find enjoyable to write, especially with Kurt, who is an excellent lyricist. In addition, with Cryptic Street, I’m involved in the PR unit together with Denise Gilford and, occasionally, our promoter Daniel Calamatta. With Oxygyn, I could also evolve my passion for PR without focusing on the performance aspect of the project, since I’m not involved in it.
Kurt AbelaWhat are the biggest challenges of this project?
Kurt: One of the biggest hurdles we encountered was back when we started to write songs, about a year and a half ago. I was an introvert, which meant that I was hesitant to present my lyrics and explain what they portrayed, as was my hesitation to sing. Over time we grew closer as writing partners and friends and I became much more confident in my abilities. At present, we have a very organic process going and we are running pretty smoothly.
What has public reaction been like so far?
Kurt: So far, it has been very surprising and awarding. We got a lot of positive feedback about our song and the various aspects of the band. A few days after its release, student magazine Insiter included Corrode in the Top 10 2015 tracks by local artists, which came as a huge surprise to all of us. The song is also being played on the radio, both locally and overseas. The fact that all this is happening so quickly was not expected and we are very grateful for all the support we have.
What have been the highlights of the band so far?
Kurt: One major highlight was the introduction of Katia to the band, making Oxygyn the band it is today. Her voice is optimal to convey the songs we write and her personality also fits with the feeling of the band, creating a dynamic organism between me and her as a sibling duo. The second and greatest highlight of the band was the release of Corrode and its accompanying music video, which finally kick-started Oxygyn as a legitimate band. We are very happy with the final result and sharing it with the public has been a very rewarding exercise.
Do you have other recordings/gigs planned in the near future?
Janelle: We are always writing new songs. We are currently focusing on writing a solid repertoire for the Oxygyn brand, for Kurt and Katia to be able to perform live in gig settings, besides writing songs for other interested artists.
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