Ocie Elliott Explained

Ocie Elliott
Origin:Victoria, British Columbia
Genre:Folk music
Current Members:Jon Middleton
Sierra Lundy
Years Active:2017–present

Ocie Elliott is a Canadian folk music duo from Victoria, British Columbia. They are composed of Jon Middleton, who is also vocalist and guitarist in the band Jon and Roy, and Sierra Lundy.[1] They were nominated for the Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2022.[2] They have released 9 albums and EPs.[3]

The band got its name after Middleton, inspired by Lundy's obsession with the 1920s, found the name "Ocie Cleve" in a 1920s name generator and combined it with the first name of folk singer Elliott Smith.

History

As a child, Lundy sang in the school choir, although she was more focused on sports. Her dad, however, wanted her to become a musician. Middleton's father played acoustic guitar often on camping trips and also inspired his interest in music. Lundy attended art school in Victoria.[4]

They met and began dating in 2016, when Middleton performed solo at a cafe on Salt Spring Island in which Lundy was working.[5]

A month into their relationship, Lundy's sister and a friend insisted that Middleton and Lundy, who were both artists, perform together. They immediately performed a rendition of "Look at Miss Ohio" by Gillian Welch. For their first couple years together, they only performed cover versions of about 50 songs in coffee shops and restaurants. Artists whose songs they performed include Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Milky Chance, and Beach House.[1]

They released a self-titled EP in 2017.[6] Their song "Run to You" was included in a 2019 episode of Grey's Anatomy and their song "The Less We Know" was included in a 2022 episode of the show.[1] [7]

Ecological activism

The band tries to minimize its ecological footprint by not creating much merchandise. They also take trains as much as possible instead of driving.[1]

Influences

The duo cite Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel as their biggest influences.[4]

Discography[3]

Notes and References

  1. News: Melody . Lau . The intimate power of Ocie Elliott's folk music . . March 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211206133535/https://www.cbc.ca/music/the-intimate-power-of-ocie-elliott-s-folk-music-1.5925068 . 2021-12-06 . live.
  2. News: Jackson . Weaver . Charlotte Cardin, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber lead 2022 Juno Award nominees . . March 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220301212708/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/2022-juno-award-nominees-1.6367948 . 2022-03-01 . live.
  3. Web site: Ocie Elliott Albums . Genius.
  4. News: Meet the voices of Ocie Elliott . Alyssa . Savage . . February 10, 2019.
  5. News: Victoria’s Ocie Elliott launching debut album . Mike . Devlin. . February 8, 2019.
  6. News: Rae . Porter. Tender musical connections mark Ocie Elliott’s latest album . . January 31, 2019.
  7. News: Mike . Devlin . Local duo finds momentum during the pandemic . . November 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211122195846/https://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/local-duo-finds-momentum-during-the-pandemic-4729224 . 2021-11-22 . live.
  8. News: Matt . Wallock . Ocie Elliott Return to Their Acoustic Roots on ‘Tracks’ . . July 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200817133657/https://americansongwriter.com/tracks-ocie-elliott-album-track-by-track/ . 2020-08-17 . live.
  9. News: Kaitlin . Irving . Ocie Elliott Find Peace on 'Slow Tide' EP . . March 12, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210827150737/https://exclaim.ca/music/article/ocie_elliott_find_peace_on_highly_anticipated_ep_slow_tide . 2021-08-27 . live.