Soaked Oats Return With Single / Video 'The Way It Works' + Announce Debut Album 'Working Title'

Ōtepoti's self-professed 'Sludge Pop' combo Soaked Oats have been sequestered away hard at work on their debut album Working Title, announced to the world today with lead single 'The Way It Works'. The first official new tune in three long years from the gang of Oscar Mein (guitar, vocals), Conor Feehly (drums), Max Holmes (bass) and Henry Francis (guitar), Soaked Oats offer fans a glimpse of what they've been up to with a mosaic of visuals for their casually groove-driven song, overlaid upon in-studio footage of the band creating their keenly-awaited masterwork.

Gently unfolding into a stained glass kaleidoscopic of psych-guitar expressiveness, 'The Way It Works' is a prelude of what's to come on Working Title, which was primarily recorded in the South Island township Okuru, Haast and intriguingly features Tāmaki Makaurau rapper Church (of Church & AP fame) on third track 'Divide Symbol' — appearing alongside contributors Anita Clark (Motte), Reuben Derrick and Tom Healy, who also produced the album. Making their way to Brisbane's Big Sound showcase in early September, hit play on Soaked Oats' video for 'The Way It Works', shot and edited by the band and Jake Munro, made with support from NZ On Air...

“A dream got me started on this song and the record as a whole. A pretty dreadful dream where a giant arm reached out from the dark to greet me, and each time I tried to shake it, my hand would go limp and slip away, or I’d get hold of a finger and cling on. The more desperately I tried to shake the hand, the more I sensed this impatience and disappointment growing from who or whatever was on the other side.

We tried recording it a few times over the month we were in Haast. Each time it knotted the stomach of the room, and we’d have to take a break till it became this almost taboo thing to bring up. Finally, on one of our last nights in the hall - having recorded the bones of the record - we decided to let loose a touch to see what happened. Like a child we’d accidentally scared off, the song cautiously came back into the room, parts began building, the hand reached out, and we received it. And that is the way…” — Oscar Mein

'Working Title' launches on Friday 18th November via Dot Dash — vinyl and digital preorders available HERE.