The Ocean Party

The origins of the band began in Wagga Wagga, where initial members Lachlan Denton, Curtis Wakeling, Liam Halliwell and Ben Protasiewicz met while in high school.[5] Each member played in "a lot of youth bands", on account of Wagga's burgeoning live music scene and an injection of government funding that spawned the creation of a host of local outfits, whom would play regular shows.[2] The quartet moved to Melbourne in 2009 and formed The Ocean Party, with an initial lineup of Denton on vocals and guitar, Wakeling on guitar, Halliwell on bass and Protasiewicz on drums.[6][7] The band's name was inspired by a themed party held for Wakeling's 21st birthday.[8]

Still in its nascent stages, the band would record a handful of tracks for its upcoming debut extended play, uploading "Winter", "Shaking Like a Leaf", and "St Kilda Beach" to the Triple J Unearthed website.[9] The former would receive its first spin on national radio on 5 November 2009, appearing on Steph Hughes' Home and Hosed program on Triple J.[10] Those three songs, alongside "Clouds" and "I Don't Know If I Should Go" formed the band's self-titled debut EP, launched at The Tote Hotel in Collingwood, Victoria on 14 November 2009.[11][12] Protasiewicz would depart the band soon after the release, replaced on drums by Simon Lam and joined by pianist Jordan Thompson in early 2010.[9] The band's work continued to catch the attention of Triple J, with "Shaking Like a Leaf" receiving airplay on music director Richard Kingsmill's weekly show in February 2010.[13] Continuing to write and tour, The Ocean Party released "Young Love" on SoundCloud in November 2010, promoted as a track from a second EP of demos to be released late that year.[14] Details of the Demos EP are scarce, and it remains unknown what other songs appeared on the release and how widely it was distributed.

The now five-piece would turn its attention to crafting its debut album in the new year. Australian music stalwart Dave Graney championed the band after seeing them play the support slot at a Ron Peno gig, describing them as "quite post punk in the ringing guitars and vocals" and likening the band to early Orange Juice.[15][16] The worked from their home in Northcote to record the album, which would be composed of songs written from the band's inception right up until the present day, with completion of the recording process occurring in September 2011.[17] Lead single and album opener "The Dogs" was self-released through Bandcamp by the band on 1 October 2011, backed by B-side "Luscious Lips".[18] Music journalist Zahra Khamissa wrote for Tone Deaf that "The Dogs", a guitar-based track just short of two minutes in length, was "a light-hearted tune, one that should be accompanied with roof top beers and a hazy sunset."[19] Six weeks later, second single "Deadbeat" received a digital and physical release on 15 November 2011, with "Young Love" being re-released as the album's third single on 20 December 2011.[20][21]

The Ocean Party's debut album, The Sun Rolled Off the Hills, was released on vinyl LP, CD and digitally on 31 January 2012 through Sound of Melbourne Records.[22] The band wrote collaboratively to craft the album's ten tracks, which clock in at 27 minutes total.[17] Unlike the band's later work, The Sun Rolled Off the Hills almost exclusively features guitars, piano and drums, with little to no extra instruments or studio flourishes. The immediacy and brevity of the record led one reviewer to bestow the band with having a "get-in, get-out attitude".[16] "Shakin' Like a Leaf", the only song from the band's debut EP to be reprised on the album, drew comparisons to The Shins, while album closer "Every House" was described as sounding "like The Go-Betweens doing 'Born to Run'-lite".[16]

Thematically, the record's lyrics talk of blossoming relationships, leaving home, and adolescence.[23] It also references locations such as Shepparton and Northcote railway station.[16] Opening pairing "The Dogs" and "The Farm" centre around vast landscapes and persistent sunshine, the latter theme recurring on final track "Every House"; "Shakin' Like a Leaf" explores the nervousness around losing one's virginity; and "Still Raining" and "Shepparton" follow the challenges of a long-distance relationship. Single "Deadbeat" presents a dichotomy between a homeless beggar and a burgeoning arts student, raising issues around respect and upbringing. The album's remaining songs all fall under the banner of young love.

The band toured the record with a four-date album launch beginning in their hometown of Wagga Wagga on 17 February 2012, and stopping in Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.[24][17]