OSTON on her latest EP “Saint Rich.”
Credit: Whitney Otte
Moving from Chicago to LA and navigating relationships. Healing and getting back on your feet. Working with friends and creating core memories including jumping in a lake, blasting music from the car speakers and screaming to it on repeat. Going on tour with Friday Pilots Club, and more.
Fuzzer: Thanks so much taking the time to answer some of our questions! How did you get started in singing and making your own music?
Oston: As a kid I would sing literally nonstop around the house, so my parents decided to put me in singing lessons to see if it was something I’d want to put time and effort into. I tried almost every sport and nothing stuck (I am the most uncoordinated person ever) but I LOVED going to my voice lessons every week. I have a family friend who is a musician who would always come around the house with her guitar, and one day she sat down with me and helped bring some lyrics that I had written to life. I was always writing little jingles and poems - but that was my first real “song”. It was called “I wanna be different” and I was so proud of it. My parents bought a keyboard for my brother and I to play around with and I just continued songwriting all through high school and college. Once I started working with a team who believed in my writing enough to help bring it to life is when I started taking songwriting more seriously.
Fuzzer: Nice! And who were your main musical and creative influences growing up?
Oston: I grew up in a household that always had background music playing on the record player. My dad listened to a lot of Santana, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, The Beatles, all kinds of stuff like that, and my mom specifically loved the B-52’s. I, however, was a complete Disney princess and was always trying to get musical theater songs onto the aux. I think my “Now That’s What I Call Music” CD was what transitioned me into listening to more “pop”, structured music like Hilary Duff, Maroon 5, and Avril Lavigne. By the time I was in junior high, my main inspiration came from icons like Adele and Ed Sheeran (I was writing a loooot of sappy love songs) and I think that style of writing is still very present in what I’m doing today.
Fuzzer: Awesome. And congrats on the release of your latest EP “Saint Rich”! How does it feel to have this project out in the world?
Oston: Thank you so much. There’s definitely an element of relief and excitement that it’s out in the world now. Promoting this project has been pretty complicated for me because I of course want these songs to be heard - but teasing the songs and getting on socials and telling people like “Hey! Someone hurt my feelings big time and emotionally abused me like crazy! You should listen to it haha!” has not been the easiest thing to do. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. But all of that’s to say I am SO proud of these songs and happy that they’re not just mine anymore.
Fuzzer: Yes, can totally understand how difficult that must be! How did you land on the name of this EP and what are the main themes you wanted to delve into lyrically for this project?
Oston: This entire project is centered around my relationship with Chicago and the people I met there - and how those relationships transitioned as I moved to LA. The main throughlines are about losing good friends (and trying to understand that pain), realizing when relationships aren’t right for you, making peace with being alone, and letting yourself experience hurt and not being ashamed of it (or trying not to be). As for the name of the EP - that’s between me and the people who know.
Fuzzer: One of our favourite tracks from the project is “Burton St.” - can you tell us a little bit about the concept of this song?
Oston: First of all, thank you so much. It’s one of my favorites too and I’m so glad it speaks to you. For anyone who’s ever been in a manipulative relationship, I feel like it’s pretty quickly recognizable that the person I’m speaking to is somebody who I once lived with that shook my world up in a big way. When I wrote this song, I was finally at the point in my healing process where - as much as they completely messed me up - I didn’t feel like my life was shattered in a permanent way. I was getting back on my feet. Despite all the songs I’ve written about this person completely ruining me, I wanted to give them something to let them know that I’m okay without them. I’m not over it and I can’t promise that I ever will be - but I’m okay, and certainly better off without them.
Fuzzer: Thank you for sharing that with us - we know that there are listeners that will be able to deeply connect with that song and your story. And “Molly” is such an absolutely incredible track - what was the writing and production process like for this one?
Molly was one of my favorite experiences writing for this project. I was on a little trip to Ann Arbor, Michigan with some of my best friends (Jordy, Katie and my boyfriend/producer Drew) to write songs for all of our projects. We had just come back from four days of Lollapalooza and I was feeling really torn up about my relationship with Chicago (and how it used to be such a huge part of my life and isn’t really anymore - and how that’s OK but growing out of something still hurts a lot...). I had tried to write a song about that topic many times and it never felt right. But coming down off the high of Lollapalooza the weekend prior (Jordy had played and I had come out on stage with him for a song) - the lyrics just poured out and aligned perfectly with the production vibe that Drew was creating. “Molly” sat around on my computer for a couple months before I finally realized it made so much sense in the context of these new songs I had started writing - so it became the first single off my ‘Saint Rich.’ EP.
Fuzzer: What were your main highlights or core memories working on this EP?
Oston: Every day that I spent working on this record was spent working with friends. From the initial writing process, to recording, figuring out production, shooting the artwork and visualizers - all of it was created from start to finish with my very talented and amazing friends.
Some of my favorite core memories are having a downward spiral and breaking down crying to Jordy, Drew and Katie - then writing ‘Molly.’ and driving to jump in the lake and blasting it in the car speakers and screaming to it on repeat. Bouncing off the WALLS with Katie and scaring the shit out of Austin while writing ‘Wtf u want.’ Spending 4 days in a row with Nic in his lockout in Van Nuys to finish all production - getting delirious & forgetting what sunlight feels like. Sending the new bridge of ‘Saint Rich.’ to Michael and him getting so excited & losing his mind over how we changed it.
I feel quite lucky and spoiled that I get to work so closely with people that I love - but now that I’ve done it - I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back.
Fuzzer: If the “Saint Rich” EP was a cocktail, what do you think it would be?
Oston: It would be a Breezy (with rum) from Estereo in Logan Square (in Chicago).
Fuzzer: Looks delicious! What music are you listening to at the moment? Are there any new artists you recommend we listen to?
Oston: Vampire Weekend’s new(ish) album. Maude Latour’s new album. Gracie Abrams’s new album. Slow Pulp. Lots of Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Carol Ades. Medium Build. Charli (obviously). Swansea Skag is dope (specifically the song “Ester”). Annika Bennett. ggwendolyn. Devon Again. quinnie. Alix Page.
Fuzzer: Such a great list! And you’re heading out on tour soon opening for Friday Pilots Club - how exciting! What are you looking forward to most about those performances?
Oston: I just love those boys so much. I think the shows will be absolutely fantastic, but even more than that I’m looking forward to being on the road with those guys and sharing a green room and feeling like I’m with family. That comradery can make or break a touring experience so I feel really grateful to get to tour with my friends!
Fuzzer: What's next for you in 2024?
Oston: Hopefully new music that I’m excited about soon! All updates will be posted to my socials if you wanna follow along.
Keep up with OSTON on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify or Apple Music.
