Photo Courtesy of Ohly.
With influences such as The Avett Brothers and Van Morrison, an Americana flare, and emotional lyrics, Ohly is excited to be releasing new music for the first time in over two years.
Christian Ohly, lead singer of Ohly, started playing music in high school after attending his first concert, The Head and The Heart at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. His family was always musical, but it wasn’t until 2017 that he started making his own music and playing in coffee shops. He released his first EP in 2017, which was recorded in a friend’s home studio.
Christian went on to the University of Hawaii-Hilo where he played at local bars with friends from church. When he came back to Detroit in August 2019, he formed the group Ohly, who released a single last week and are gearing up for a new album in May. The trio is composed of Pia Roa on bass and vocals, Matt Jones on drums, and Christian on lead guitar and vocals. The group describes their sound as indie folk rock with a touch of Americana, but it’s the delicate and emotional lyrics that bring it all together. Christian mentioned Pinegrove, David Bazan, and Frontier Ruckus as big inspirations. “I try to tell detailed stories in my lyrics – almost as vivid as a children’s picture book yet unique to memories,” Ohly said. That balance of folk rock and impactful lyrics is on display with their new single “University,” which debuted last Friday. You can find their single on their Song Link page and the lyric video on their YouTube page. It’s the first music Christian has released in over two years, but he said that being a part of this group has really been a great experience. “I’m excited to start writing with a band, it’s much more fun to hash the songs out as a group,” Ohly said. “I imagine our third major release will be the best.” Christian added that the Detroit music scene has played a big part in the growth of Ohly. The band tries to go to as many shows as possible to foster friendships with bands and learn from Detroit’s incredible music scene. “Everyone we’ve heard and met is so kind and talented. Detroit’s a great place to be for an indie rock band,” Ohly said. The group is aiming to have their album out this May, with a show at The Loving Touch scheduled for June 19. You can find information on everything the band has coming up on their official website and Facebook page.
