FEATURE: Indie Folk Trio Oliver Hazard Make Their Own Celebration With New Single “Fly Right”
Once a year, the people of Waterville, Ohio mark their calendars for “Oliver Hazard Day”. For a rust-belt town of only a few thousand along the Maumee River, their favourite local music trio bring some excitement with their annual music festival by taking over the middle of main street. Known for their innovation and creativity to find spaces to perform, the three friends of Mike Belazis, Griffin McCulloch, and Devin East find DIY spaces in movie theatres, minor league baseball stadiums, and stranger’s living rooms. In growing this grassroots origin story, the band decided to create their own touring model, aptly named “The Living Room Tour” back in 2018, performing in over 60 living rooms across the United States in less than two years – something they hope to grow in the near future. In addition to the Living Room tour, the band has secured slots in nationally acclaimed arenas like Bonnaroo, Mountain Jam, and Americanafest, all the while, touring with bands like Mt. Joy, The Band Perry, America, The War & Treaty, J Roddy Walson, and many more.
While they are still connected to their hometown, the boys of Oliver Hazard continue to aim for bigger things with their upcoming self-titled sophomore album. From the release is the first single “Fly Right”, a warmhearted and vulnerable folk track rooted in the spirit of a budding romance. Gentle guitar and charming vocals are at the foundation of the new single, as the band’s harmonies and trickling percussion and rhythm section build up the song about the butterfly feeling of falling in love, and the almost synonymous sensation of anxiety that comes from a fear of flying for Griffin.
Get to know more about the event and the band in a special Q&A below:
What is “Oliver Hazard Day” and where did it all start?
Oliver Hazard Day is a music festival that we started in 2018. The mayor of our small town of Waterville, Ohio asked us if we wanted to throw a concert in the middle of the town to help us plant our roots. We quickly ran with the idea and began inviting touring bands & musicians whom we had met on the road. The concert quickly turned into a music festival that we shamelessly named after ourselves. This year we have our own IPA, aptly named the Oliver Hazy, brewed by a local brewery.
What inspired your Living Room Tour?
We grew up in a region of the country with very few small music venues. Even the “great” music venues were bars/taverns, where music was secondary to conversation. We decided early on that we wanted to place our songs in the right context. A living room not only allows our music to be heard in an intimate setting, it also helps us build lasting relationships with our fans. We wanted to create a memorable and magical experience for our audience, and we feel that the living room tour allows us to do so.
How did that model work out for you guys?
The living room tour model works out well for us. We did over 70 living room shows in 2019 all over the country, and we have picked up where we left of here in 2021. So far we have played in living rooms from New Hampshire to New York to Colorado. Next month we will be heading to the southeast. We hope to continue to grow and develop this model.
How has your dedication to live shows influenced your band?
We have become better performers and composers because of it. Our acoustic shows in the living rooms lend themselves to the bigger stages. If you can perfect the nuances of an acoustic volume concert, you can easily build on these for a larger stage.
What’s the story behind Fly Right?
Initially all I (Griff) had written was the first verse and it was essentially a love letter to my girlfriend. I couldn’t find a chorus for the first month or so. Then out of the blue the chorus showed up. I was thinking about how her father is a pilot so she grew up flying all the time and how I get a little anxious when I fly. So I sort of equated that to our relationship and the words just fell out. I showed it to the guys and they liked it. Mike then wrote the bridge to it which turned it into more of a satire, which was for the best. It all came together at a hotel room on tour in Vermont. After our show we had a few beers and decided to try it. That’s when Devin put the high harmony on and wrote the lead guitar to it. We probably played it for over for 2 hours that night. Other guests of the hotel even came in and started listening. We figured if they liked it maybe other people would too.
Have you figured out a way to manage your fear of flying when on tour?
We actually have never flown to a show yet. We drive everywhere and our Toyota tour vehicle just hit 400k miles!
Listen to “Fly Right” below and stay tuned for more music from the band this year.
