Oliver Keane

Meet Oliver Keane - this year, the rising star has gained momentum by supporting Giant Rooks and Sea Girls on tour, solidifying his status as someone to watch. Following his raw and impressive February release, ‘3.5,’, the artist has continued to grow and recently dropped a new single, ‘Romeo‘.

The Derby-born singer-songwriter is not only a multi-instrumentalist and producer - already from a young-age he has been honing his technical skills - but is also busy writing and producing for other artists including Nieve Ella and Abby Roberts. Influenced by bands like Pink Floyd and Catfish and the Bottlemen, Keane has crafted a unique indie/alt-pop sound, with much more music coming soon.

Read our chat with him below!

EQ: Your new single ‘ROMEO’ is more upbeat than a lot of your previous work, can you talk us though how the song came about?

OK: The drums were one of the most pivotal parts of this song becoming what it is. I toured with the song for a while before recording it and the intro in the song is how we would play it live. I just fell in love with the energy and excitement it came in with straight away which then bled through to the other elements of the track.

EQ: Growing up with influences like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Nirvana, how have these early inspirations continued to shape your music today?

OK: I think especially some of the guitar tones and drive to this music really shaped me when I was younger and started making indie/rock. Catfish and the Bottlemen was a huge influence to me at the time as well but as I’ve got older it’s fun to mix that world with other influences i’ve got into later in life.

EQ: Can you talk to us about your creative process in general?

OK: I work alone pretty much 90% of the time. I prefer to write and record in my own space as i feel like there’s no pressure for something to be good or any expectations on me.

EQ: ⁠You’ve supported Giant Rooks and Sea Girls on their tours. How have these experiences shaped your growth as a live performer?

OK: I think seeing the difference in the way they interact with their audiences and their approach to delivering the songs live has really opened my eyes to the fact there’s no right way to perform, you’ve just gotta find what works for you.

EQ: You’ve been writing and producing for other artists like Nieve Ella and Abby Roberts. How does this collaborative process differ from working on your own music?

OK: An artists career is like a big machine where every part has to work in harmony to keep it moving. Sometimes it’s nice to take a step out of my own career and just become a part of someone else’s machine. Just assisting the bigger picture.

EQ: With over 1.3 million likes on TikTok and a growing global fan base, how do you engage with your audience on social media, and what impact has this had on your career?

OK: I’ve always tried to be very honest online as i want people to feel like they’re a part of this journey as well. A lot of the time i struggle with knowing what to post as i get worried perhaps people won’t care about certain aspects of my life, but i think purely by just being honest and raw, people will enjoy it regardless as it’s always me.

EQ: ⁠What else have you got cooking up this year that you can talk about ?

OK: I’ve been finishing up a huge amount of music that is going to be coming very soon which i’m super excited about.

Listen to ‘Romeo’ below…

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