A song is never too old for TikTok. At the beginning of this year, Miguel’s 2011 single “Sure Thing” reemerged on the Billboard charts (and radio stations) due to a resurgence on TikTok. Around the same time, The Weeknd’s “Die For You” similarly benefitted. Add Australian indie rock band Ocean Alley to the never-ending list of TikTok darlings, and their 2018 breakthrough single “Confidence” is enjoying a delayed second wind.
Let Billboard explain:
“Clips of live performances of ‘Confidence’ have gained ample traction on the band’s official TikTok page for years, but a slightly pitched-up and sped-up version of the song used in the band’s Nov. 2 TikTok commemorating two sold-out Brisbane shows has catapulted ‘Confidence’ into the hearts and minds of millions of new listeners. According to Luminate, ‘Confidence’ has collected over 1.9 million US on-demand streams during the period of Nov. 10-16; that’s an eye-popping 182% increase from 700,000 streams during Nov. 3-9. In turn, that Nov. 3-9 figure is a 433.7% increase from just over 131,000 streams during the period of Oct. 27 to Nov. 2.”
Additionally, “Confidence” has debuted this week at No. 21 on Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart and No. 27 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. It also topped Spotify’s Viral 50 — USA chart.
@oceanalleyband 2 Brisbane shows at the Riverstage this week. Friday sold out. Thursday nearly sold out
So, who are these guys? Below is a crash course.
What Is Ocean Alley?
According to Ocean Alley’s artist page on Lonely Lands Agency’s website, Ocean Alley are “Australia’s beloved psychedelic-surf-rockers.” This October, bass player Nic Blom told Australia’s Tracks Magazine that “pretty much everyone [in the band] surfs besides our drummer,” Tim O’Brien. Lead guitarist Angus Goodwin added, “We all grew up on the northern beaches of Sydney.”
Who Is In Ocean Alley?
Alongside Blom, Goodwin, and O’Brien, Ocean Alley is rounded out by lead vocalist Baden Donegal, keyboardist and vocalist Lach Galbraith, and guitarist Mitch Galbraith.
When Did Ocean Alley’s “Confidence” Come Out?
“Confidence” was the standout single from Ocean Alley’s 2018 album, Chiaroscuro. According to the band’s official website, “Confidence” finished 2018 at No. 1 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 in Australia. The song is platinum-certified by The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), while Chiaroscuro is gold-certified in Australia and New Zealand — or, at least, that is the highest certification it had reached when Ocean Alley’s website was last updated.
As Billboard laid out above, “Confidence” entered the international zeitgeist when Ocean Alley used a sped-up version to soundtrack a TikTok on November 2. In the comments section, someone named Chase Moulder said, “Y’all gotta release this sped up version.” Two weeks later, the full sped-up song hit YouTube.
@oceanalleyband CONFIDENCE BY OCEAN ALLEY #confidencebaby #oceanalley #spedup
@oceanalleyband Behind our song ‘Confidence’ from a @triple j interview
#oceanalley #confidencebaby #wigs #bitoffun
“Confidence” has also been given new life in Australia, as it popped from No. 95 to No. 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart as of November 28 (as per Australia’s The Music Network).
What Is Ocean Alley Doing Now?
Five years is a long time, and Ocean Alley have not been one-hit wonders. Since their 2018 sophomore effort, Ocean Alley have dropped Lonely Diamond in June 2020 and Low Altitude Living in October 2022.
“Low altitude, being by the beach is where we all have the most peace,” Donegal said of Ocean Alley’s most recent LP, as per the band’s official website. “So naming the album Low Altitude Living made a lot of sense. The title of the album doesn’t necessarily represent any one song in particular, or tie them all together. But it does tie our band to the music. I feel like it’s more of a title that describes why we sound like Ocean Alley.”
Ocean Alley is also a very active touring act. On November 22, the band captioned an Instagram carousel, “Australia!!! We just wanted to thank every single one of you who came to a show on our recent tour. These were the biggest shows we’ve ever played anywhere in the world and you were all bloody incredible. We capped it off with 2 crazy nights at Riverstage in Brisbane!! What a way to properly celebrate our 4th album Low Altitude Living and 10 years of our debut EP Yellow Mellow.”
Their official website lists all of their upcoming dates, including six festivals across Australia and New Zealand before the end of the year.