Indie Rocker Possible Oceans New Album 'Death by Misadventure' Out Today
— ALTERNATIVE ROCKER —
POSSIBLE OCEANS
RELEASES NEW LP
DEATH BY MISADVENTURE
TODAY
Above: ‘Death by Misadventure’ cover art
LOS ANGELES, CA (July 29, 2022) — Los Angeles-based indie rock artist Possible Oceans — the solo project of singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Trevor O’Neill — has been preparing for Death by Misadventure, the new 11-track album out today. “I think I wrote this record to try to make sense of what it means to be alive in a time like this,” O’Neill shares. The album rides the wavelength of its previous singles, “Throw The Knife (Again)” and “Dotted Lines” (debuted with New Noise Magazine), exploring the current uncertainty in the world, a theme interwoven throughout the album.
Listen to Death by Misadventure here.
“It seems like those in power are constantly taking these huge risks in the pursuit of wealth and influence, and it often feels like we are watching the beginning of the end as a result,” Trevor opens up. “There’s so much turmoil and huge issues that feel so completely impossible to face, but we’re all still here trying to make a life and find joy even though it feels like the whole thing could be over tomorrow.”
“Throw the Knife (Again),” gave a glimpse into what Possible Oceans has been up to since the release of the Phase Change EP in 2018. “The forced break of the pandemic allowed me to take my time and try a lot of things,” shares O’Neill. “I wrote most of this record alone in my home studio, which was a totally different process from my normal ‘band in a room’ approach. My incredible co-producer, Jules de Gasperis (James Supercave and Low Hum), led me to expand my use of electronic elements, which opened up the sound from more traditional guitar-driven rock to a darker synth-infused space that I’m really happy with.”
O’Neill isn’t afraid to talk about “the dark stuff” and doesn’t shy from acknowledging that it can be difficult to be human. “We’re constantly faced with daunting realities and huge unknowns while also being told to just go to work and make money and not worry about it. It’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to talk about it, and I hope that we can make that more of a normal part of life.” “Throw the Knife (Again),” along with another album standout, “Blood in the Water,” which secured airplay on BBC1 Future Artists, have been a peek into what Possible Oceans has had in store; Now finally unveiled in Death by Misadventure.
Having set the landscape for the album, the singles caught the attention of Aaron Willschick at V13 who praised Possible Oceans’ music saying, “'Throw The Knife (Again)' is a deep dive into new musical territory..." with buzzbands.la noting the music video is “a shadowy affair that touches on civil unrest, climate change and government corruption.” “Dotted Lines” was right there behind it with Kevin Bronson at buzzbands.la claiming the single “is an insistent indie-rocker with an inviting groove.”
Above: Possible Oceans / Trevor O’Neill; credit: James Michael Juarez
In addition to his love of music and production, Trevor shares, “film is a huge passion of mine. I constantly turn to film for inspiration when I write. I’ve almost always got a scene from a movie playing in my head when I’m working on music. It almost feels like scoring a film, which is a big dream of mine,” he admits. “The inspiration from film, especially in Los Angeles, pushes O’Neill to always keep the big picture in mind. Not only is film a driving factor when writing, he uses that muse when creating the visual aspect of his music as well. This is beyond evident in this transfixing music video for “Throw the Knife (Again).”
The single is a reworking of an older song Trevor wrote, laced with ideas that are still relevant today. He explains, “The idea came from watching an old video of a knife throwing act where a blindfolded man was throwing knives at children strapped to a spinning wheel. It reminded me of the way people in power in our world often seem to blindly do whatever they feel like doing, whatever benefits them, without considering the consequences for those around them.” The song's themes fit well with the UK concept of a death by misadventure (any death as the result of a voluntary risk), which is woven throughout the fittingly titled album, Death by Misadventure.
“Dotted Lines” found Possible Oceans expanding on the use of electronic elements prevalent throughout the album, which opens up the sound from more traditional guitar-driven rock to a darker synth-infused space. “That song came together almost instantly in a writing session with my friend Will Walden… we were in my studio working out a part for another song, I went to the kitchen to grab us some coffee and I heard him messing around playing what became the intro bass line,” Trevor shares of the genesis of “Dotted Lines.” “By the time I got back to the studio I had the chorus riff in my head. The song was essentially done a couple hours later. It’s always exciting when that happens because it feels like we captured a moment of inspiration.”
The space-rocker has drawn further influence from Soulwax, praising “I love [them] for the way they’ve carried a rock ethos into their electronic music,” something Possible Oceans emulates in his projects. With roots in more of the classics like Queens of the Stone Age and Iggy Pop, O’Neill aims to push the limits of rock music while simultaneously capturing the essence of its origin.
Death by Misadventure tracklisting:
“Birds of Paradise”
“Blood in the Water”
“Dotted Lines”
“False Light”
“Nothing’s Shocking”
“Life Taker”
“Throw the Knife (Again)”
“Skyscrapers”
“Meet You Maker”
“No Devil, No Details”
“Run (Outro)”
Above: Possible Oceans / Trevor O’Neill; credit: James Michael Juarez