There’s something about those first days of spring that just seem to lift everyone’s spirits. Maybe it’s the cherry blossoms or maybe it’s the Vitamin D from the sunshine. All we know is that April’s Zone Band of the Month has something to do with the bounce in our step.
Victoria, BC’s OK Charlie might be known as a one of the hardest-working cover band to locals (with several gigs a week), but are now making the break into the world of indie rock originals.
OK Charlie is fronted by singer, guitarist, and prolific songwriter, Mitchell Hahn — who has been writing a song a day for over 900 days — with heavy hitters Dustin Barden on keys, acoustic guitar, and any other instrument you need, Graham Stark on drums, and rounded out by newest member Louis Rudner on bass.
After an early morning photo session fuelled by donuts and coffee (thanks Mitch!) and getting Dustin to do his best Ken impression – Tyson Elder chatted with the band about making the transition from cover band to originals and their debut single, Underground.
Tyson Elder: It’s a real treat to say this – Welcome to The Zone’s Band of the Month, OK Charlie! We are really excited to have you.
Mitch Hahn: It’s our pleasure, thanks for having us!
TE: I’d love to get some background on how the band got together. OK Charlie has be a staple of the Victoria music scene for the past few years, primarily as a cover band. You’ve had solid residencies at Canoe and Darcy’s, but beyond that, how did you all start making music together?
Mitch: I met Graham at Selkirk Music College – to this day he’s the most dependable, rock-steady musician I’ve ever met. He keeps the band grounded, both musically and spiritually. I could probably count on one hand the number of sick days he’s taken in the nine years I’ve known him. Dustin… Dustin joined a few years later and just appeared like some magical creature. ✨ No one really knows where he came from, but in our hour of need, he stepped in and could play every instrument we threw at him. I remember once playing Dancing Queen and he needed to play the bass, piano, synth, a sampler, and control patch changes, all while singing a difficult harmony. It was like a high-wire circus act, and yet he nailed it and made it look easy. Louis is the new kid on the block, having just joined 6 months ago. I don’t use the word expert very much regarding musicians, but Louis is unequivocally an expert on his instrument. Bringing him in was like drafting Connor McDavid: not only is he crushing it, but the rest of us are performing better because of him.
TE: Personally, I find a lot of bands that transition from just doing covers to originals are more disciplined and tight from playing in front of an audience so consistently. All you have to do is look at the success of fellow rockers, The Bankes Brothers. Do you find that you’ve picked up skills playing live that others take longer to achieve?
Mitch: As a kid I would often hear the saying, “What would Jesus do?” As a musician, I’ve always asked myself, “What would The Beatles do?” The Beatles started out as a cover band.
I think that’s part of the reason there’s so much range in their music, while still being so appealing to an audience. And the Bankes Brothers/OK Charlie bromance goes way back. I say bromance, but they’re like family. We adore them, and they adore us right back. It’s actually quite wholesome and sweet. We’re going to climb this indie-rock mountain together and do a big high-five at the top.
TE: Zoners will get a sneak peak at listening to your debut single, Underground, a day earlier than its official release when you kick-off your tenure as The Zone @ 91-3’s Band of the Month. It must be exciting to finally have your music heading out into the world.
Dustin Barden: So exciting! This song in particular has been over a year in the making. The whole upcoming album was recorded with Howard Redekopp, who is essentially the oracle of alternative rock. So we knew with his touch, it was going to sound great. But it was still nervewracking to release after a year of anticipation.
TE: Fellow Rocktographer webmeister Bud sent me a text when he first heard your single, Underground.
“OMG I just listened to the feature track. It’s called UNDERGROUND and… it sounds like the happiest sitcom intro ever!”
I’m obliged to agree with him, and not just because we work together. This track has a warmth to it that could easily make it the soundtrack to many folks’ spring/summer. It’s light, airy and just a fun song to listen to and I’ve found myself singing the chorus round the house since hearing it. How’d you approach the song writing process for this song?
Mitch: [laughs] That’s awesome! Well, writing some songs is like trying to birth a baby that doesn’t want to be born yet, and other songs just seem to just fall out. This song pretty happily just fell out. As a kid I really liked the books Where The Wild Things Are, and Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Books about frustration with regular world and wanting to run away to some magical place. In terms of the catchiness of the melody, that’s a tightly-guarded trade secret.
TE: Is there more new music coming down the pike from OK Charlie?
Graham Stark: Absolutely! This is just the start. We have four more singles and the full length album dropping this summer. The next single, Coldest of Monsters, will be out by the end of this month. It brings in a more cheeky rock vibe with some cool Queen-like moments and Mitch is still writing a song every day, so I’m sure we’ll be back in the studio pretty quick after that.
TE: At the beginning of May you’ll be playing with our friends The Carlines at Upstairs Cabaret for their EP release show. What should we expect from a live set from OK Charlie? Are we going to hear lots of new music?
Mitch: Yes! We’re really excited for that one! You’re going to get a sneak peek of the whole album. We’ll be pulling out all the stops and bringing in some musical guests to really make it a magical night. The Carlines are superb, and we’ve been working a lot with Upstairs Cabaret so it’s going to be spectacular. Get those tickets now!
TE: Thanks for taking the time to chat with me guys. I’m super excited to hear more music from you and once again, congratulations on being The Zone’s Band of the Month!
Mitch: Thanks Tyson! And thanks to all the Rocktographers and The Zone. We couldn’t be more thrilled to work with you all.
April 2024’s Band of the Month, OK Charlie, will have The Zone @ 91-3 joyfully singing along to their single, Underground, all month long. The song is available for download along another track on their Band of the Month microsite.
Rocktographers is a proud supporting sponsor of The Zone’s Band of the Month program.