Octopus & Owl started as a two-piece acoustic folk band, but with the addition of a new bassist it’s gained some attitude and a hint of grunge.
The trio will take the stage with Valley Boys, Magna Drag and Homemade Drugs at Casa Nueva, 4 W. State St., at 10 p.m. Thursday and at 3 p.m. Saturday for the Aquabear County Fair at O’Betty’s, 30 W. Union St.
“My old drummer, Zack Inscho, came up with the band name back when we were a two-piece (band),” said Maureen Neer, the band’s singer and songwriter. “I’ve been too lazy to change it and I feel like we’re stuck with it now.”
Octopus & Owl started off playing in coffee shops such as Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 ½ W. Washington St., but over the years developed a grunge rock sound and started playing at various bars in Athens.
“I used to play really quiet stuff,” Neer said. “But I love to go to rock ‘n’ roll shows, get drunk and dance around.”
Neer writes the lyrics and guitar parts and Nolan Klock, drummer, and Jeff Strinttholt, bassist, pick up the rhythm section to back it up, adding a new layer to this once soft-spoken band.
Neer said that adding the bass has really helped to develop the band’s overall sound and define it more in its new rock roots.
“(Strinttholt) has contributed greatly to our sound,” Klock said. “He’s one of the best bassists in town.”
To post its music online, the band recorded a small demo with home recording equipment that can be found on Bandcamp or Facebook, and while Neer said it’s not much, Octopus & Owl is planning on recording a CD in the upcoming months.
After recording, Octopus & Owl went on a small, three-day out-of-state tour last summer, playing in whatever bars and house shows it could find.
The band camped and stayed with friends while touring in Tennessee, North Carolina and Washington, D.C., taking advantage of contacts within the music scene in Athens to find shows wherever they could.
“We weren’t popular at all at the time; it was just something I wanted to do,” Neer said. “You can totally do it yourself, you just have to work your ass off. It’s a great way to see the country.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
If You Go
WHAT: Octopus & Owl, Valley Boys, Magna Drag and Homemade Drugs
WHEN: 10 p.m. Thursday
WHERE: Casa Nueva, 4 W. State St.
ADMISSION: Free
