An Interview With Omni + ‘Wire’ New Video

Omni are a new band from Atlanta, Georgia featuring former members of Deerhunter/Balkans (Frankie Broyles on guitar) and Carnivores (Philip Frobos on bass/vocals and Billy Mitchell on drums). This month they’ve released two great singles (‘Wire’ & ‘Afterlife’) off their debut album Deluxe which comes out in July. Deluxe is an extremely raw record that calls back to the post punk and new wave era of the late 70s and early 80s. Angular and intricate guitar riffs mixed with an infectious rhythm section make it impossible not to move your body while listening. Omni have a refreshing lo-fi sound that doesn’t hide behind the use of effects or studio trickery. Instead, they rely on capturing the perfect performance in its rawest form and deliver it straight to your ear.

Today we’re sharing the second single ‘Wire’ which, combined with ‘Afterlite’, gives you a pretty enticing look into what you can expect from the rest of Deluxe when the album is released in July. Both songs have been on repeat since their release.

We were also able to get a little insight into the writing and recording process behind the record from guitarist Frankie Broyles. Check that out while you watch the video for ‘Wire’ and ‘Afterlite’ below…

Watch the video for ‘Wire’…

Watch the video for ‘Afterlite’…

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Interview with Frankie Broyles of Omni…
 
[RP] How did the band start and how long have you been playing together?

[Frankie] We’ve all known each other for a long time. Our old bands (Carnivores, Balkans) used to play a lot in and around Atlanta. We’d hang out all the time so it just seemed natural for us to start playing music together. Billy moved up to Chicago for a while so our pal Nathaniel stepped in on drums (he also later recorded our album). Billy came back in early 2015 and resumed his drumming duties. That was about a year and a half ago now.
 

[RP] Is there a meaning behind the name Omni?

[Frankie] Not really, we were in need of a name and Omni just seemed to fit. Coincidentally, it was also the name of an arena that used to be downtown. A really cool looking building. Elvis and David Bowie played there… a lot of other people too.
 

[RP] Where did you record the album?

[Frankie] We recorded the album with Nathaniel Higgins in our practice space at the Goat Farm Arts Center in Atlanta.
 

[RP] What was the recording process like?

[Frankie] Recording was a lot of fun. It was a very casual experience. Whenever we were all free, we’d meet up, drink beer, hang out, and play songs. Sometimes we ate pizza.
 

[RP] How involved was the band in the recording process?

[Frankie] It was very much a collaborative process. A big part of recording was just about being able to hang out and bounce ideas off one another. Having Nathaniel there to tackle all of the technical aspects of recording made everything super easy. Often times he’d have to make us stop redoing takes. It’s possible that I’d still be recording guitar parts today if not for his intervention.
 

[RP] How involved was the band in the post-recording process? (mixing, mastering, etc.)

[Frankie] Nathaniel worked out rough mixes and usually there wouldn’t be much that would need changing. We’d throw in little notes here and there if we had ideas. He’s a whiz. Throughout the mixing process we watched the entire James Bond film series on mute… with subtitles. Our friend Travis Thatcher mastered the album. He’s a real whiz as well. Nathaniel and Travis are our whizzes.
 

[RP] What does your writing process look like?

[Frankie] It’s always a little different. Someone might come in with an idea or we’ll have some riff we’re working on. Other times we’ll just start from scratch and see what happens. Generally it happens pretty quickly and we’ll have a rough version of a song done in an hour or two. We usually do a quick 8 track demo once we’re happy with the structure. Once the demo is made the song is pretty much done.
 

[RP] How would you describe your music?

[Frankie] Hm, I guess it could be called new wave or post punk. I think we just try to make the kind of music we would like to hear.
 

[RP] Who are your biggest influences?

[Frankie] Magazine, XTC, Bowie, The B-52’s, Steely Dan. Those are a few we all share.
 

[RP] Do you have a favorite ritual, place or activity while listening to music?

[Frankie] Definitely, we listen to a lot of records together at Philip’s house as his collection is endless. Like most people, listening to music while driving is one of my favorite things to do… preferably whilst headed nowhere. Ah, I was recently gifted a bluetooth speaker and I’m amazed by how attached I’ve become to it… I’ve dropped it a couple of times though.