Oh Wonder

Photo credit: Josh Shinner at DIY Mag.

After the success of their self-titled DIY album back in 2015, Oh Wonder wasted no time to continue their sound into their sophomore album, Ultralife. Ultralife is a bolder and more upbeat vibe that still holds in place their combination of low-key piano, drum machine and simple repetitive melodies.

The alt-pop duo consists of Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West, who both tried finding success on their own and in numerous different bands. But it’s their interweaving voices blending so perfectly that makes them so unique to anything else being released at the moment.

They started out writing, producing and mixing in their own London home studio, where they took a unique approach to creating the first album. Instead of the regular gigging route, they opted for releasing a new single every month for a year, eventually building up to the completion of the full album. And ever since its release they have been touring internationally non-stop.

 Their stage presence is just as minimalistic yet colourful as their music is, always leaving crowds on a high even though the floaty understated piano can at times be chilling. They fill the atmosphere with electricity and euphoria through an array of emotional songs mixed with the upbeat synthy pop lyrics. And along with the unique child-like charm of Vander Gucht’s vocals there’s the hint of an influence from Chvrches. By seamlessly combining all of these elements, their gigs provide a fusion of trip-hop, R&B and electronica all in one room.

Oh Wonder played Thekla back in 2015, but their growing audience has promoted them to the o2 Academy this time round. Make sure you don’t miss them on their Ultralife World Tour on November 7th.