{{Short description|Australian indie folk band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Oh Pep! | image = Oh Pep! CMJ Music Marathon, Rockwood Music Hall, New York. October 13, 2015.jpg | caption = Pepita Emmerichs (left) and Olivia Hally perform as Oh Pep! at the 2015 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. | landscape = yes | alias = | origin = Melbourne, Australia | genre = pop | years_active = 2009–present | label = | associated_acts = | website = {{url|http://ohpep.com/}} | current_members = Olivia Hally<br/>Pepita Emmerichs<br> }}
'''Oh Pep!''' are an Australian band formed in Melbourne, Australia by Olivia Hally (vocals, guitar) and Pepita Emmerichs (violin, mandolin). Their debut album, ''Stadium Cake,'' was released on 24 June 2016.
Emmerichs characterised her band's musical style as "folk/pop/country with bluegrass instrumentation".<ref name="MeltingPot" /> She has cited among the band's influences Paul Kelly, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch, Andrew Bird, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Glen Hansard, Elbow, Bright Eyes and Arcade Fire.<ref name="Lip" /> Christine Campbell of ''Lip Magazine'' called their music "an original mix of different kinds of folk, pop, indie and more."<ref name="Lip" /> NPR Music's Bob Boilen, after seeing Oh Pep! perform at the 2015 CMJ Music Marathon, praised their songs as "charming ... with lyrical and structural twists and turns."<ref name="BradBoilen">[https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/10/19/449184189/bob-boilens-top-10-discoveries-from-the-2015-cmj-music-marathon "Bob Boilen's Top 10 Discoveries From The 2015 CMJ Music Marathon"] ''All Songs Considered'', 19 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015</ref>
==Career== ===2009-2015: Formation and early releases=== The duo met at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School in 2009, and began writing songs together.<ref name="Lip">Christine Campbell, [http://lipmag.com/arts/interview-oh-pep/ "Interview: Oh Pep!"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415215758/http://lipmag.com/arts/interview-oh-pep/ |date=15 April 2015 }} ''Lip Magazine'' (3 December 2012). Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref><ref name="MeltingPot">[http://www.meltingpotonline.com/artist/oh-pep/ "Q&A, with PEPI"] ''The Melting Pot''. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref> In mid-2011, their musical duo, known as Oh Pep!, expanded into a five-piece lineup with Stuart West (double bass), Paddy Montgomery (mandolin, bouzouki) and Justin Olsson (drums, percussion).<ref name="Lip" /> The band's line-up has changed several times since, with Hally and Emmerichs the constant factor in all line-up configurations.
Pepita Emmerichs was also a child actress, who had appeared in Spike Jonze's 2009 film ''Where the Wild Things Are'' as Claire, the protagonist's older sister.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/movies/where-the-wild-things-are-20091203-ge87hu.html|title=Where the Wild Things Are|date=3 December 2009|website=The Age|accessdate=26 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/movies/16where.html|title=Monsters Make Everything Better Spike Jonze's Film|first=Manohla|last=Dargis|work=The New York Times |date=15 October 2009 |accessdate=26 October 2018}}</ref>
The band's self-titled debut EP, which was entirely self-produced and funded, was released on 6 September 2012.<ref name="Lip" /><ref name="FirstEP">[http://ohpepmusic.bandcamp.com/album/oh-pep "Oh Pep!"] Oh Pep! official site. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref> Their second EP, ''II'', was released on 10 October 2013.<ref name="II">[http://ohpepmusic.bandcamp.com/album/ii-2 "II"] Oh Pep! official site. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref>
In January 2013, Oh Pep! covered Paul Simon's ''Graceland'' in its entirety as part of the event "RocKwiz presents Pure Pop's Summer of Classic Albums".<ref name="Lip" /><ref name="TimeOut">[http://www.au.timeout.com/melbourne/music/events/5094/pure-pops-summer-of-classic-albums "Rockwiz presents Pure Pop's Summer of Classic Albums"] ''TimeOut Melbourne''. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref> In November 2014, the band performed as a showcase act at the Australasian Worldwide Music Expo.<ref name="Q&A">[http://www.beat.com.au/music/awme-qa-oh-pep "AWME Q&A: Oh Pep!"] ''Beat''. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref>
Oh Pep! released their third EP, ''Living'', on 21 August 2015, through Star House Collective.<ref>[https://ohpepmusic.bandcamp.com/album/living "Living"] Oh Pep! official site. Retrieved 22 October 2015.</ref> Oh Pep! performed at the 2015 Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where Pop Matters' listed them as one of the event's "unquestionable standouts",<ref>Annie Galvin, [http://www.popmatters.com/post/10-americana-fest-bands-to-fall-in-love-with-right-now "10 Americana Fest Bands to Fall in Love With Right Now"] ''Pop Matters'', 8 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2010</ref> writing that "seeing Oh Pep! is one of those times when the crowd realizes they're seeing future stars for the first time."
Oh Pep! also performed at the 2015 CMJ Music Marathon, where they received praise from NPR Music's Bob Boilen,<ref name="BradBoilen"/> ''The New York Times''' Jon Pareles,<ref>[https://twitter.com/JonPareles/status/655771306248511488 Tweet by Jon Pareles] @JonPareles, Twitter.com, 18 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.</ref> and the KCRW Music Blog.<ref>Nassir Nassirzadeh, [https://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/2015/10/cmj-music-marathon-2015-11-artists-that-ruled-the-fest/ "CMJ Music Marathon 2015: 11 Artists That Ruled The Fest"] KCRW Music Blog, 20 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.</ref> In October 2015, Hally and Emmerichs performed as Oh Pep! for NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts series.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/event/music/448983620/oh-pep-tiny-desk-concert "Oh Pep!: Tiny Desk Concert"] NPR Music, 16 October 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.</ref>
===2016-present: ''Stadium Cake'' & ''I Wasn't Only Thinking About You...''=== The band's debut album, ''Stadium Cake,'' was released on 24 June 2016.<ref name=StadiumCake>[https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2016/04/05/473090597/new-mix-weezer-the-jayhawks-colin-stetson-more "New Mix: Weezer, The Jayhawks, Colin Stetson, More"] ''All Songs Considered'', NPR Music, 5 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.</ref>{{efn-ua|''Stadium Cake'' was released on Dualtone Records in North America,<ref name=StadiumCake/> Star House Collective in Europe,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170904134612/http://www.starhousecollective.com/index.php/artists/oh-pep "Oh Pep!"] Star House Collective official website. Archived 4 September 2017.</ref> and Barely Dressed Records in Australia and New Zealand.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170904134614/http://www.barelydressedrecords.com/ohpep Oh Pep!] Barely Dressed Records official website. Archived 4 September 2017.</ref>}}
For ''Stadium Cake'', Oh Pep! sought to explore different musical styles. According to Hally, "We're more aware now of exactly what we want with our sound, and for that matter exploring sounds that we haven't used before. [...] There's more of a pop influence this time, some rock."<ref name="Brag">Adam Norris, [http://www.thebrag.com/music/oh-pep "Oh Pep!"] ''The Brag''. Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref> In their review of the band's debut album, ''The Village Voice'' described the Oh Pep! sound as "starting off slow and spare — all delicate strumming and hushed vocals — it soon grows into something fast, boisterous, and baroque [...] From the get-go it's clear that ''Stadium Cake'' is a pop album."<ref>Bryan Hood (2016) [https://web.archive.org/web/20170904134807/https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/06/29/oh-pep-aim-for-the-big-leagues-with-an-ambitious-folk-pop-debut/ "Oh Pep! Aim for the Big Leagues With an Ambitious Folk-Pop Debut"] ''The Village Voice'', 29 June 2016. Archived 4 September 2017.</ref>
The band's music featured in the 2017 short film ''Martha The Monster'', directed by Christopher Weekes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170904123038/https://www.psfilmfest.org/2017-shortfest/short-films/martha-the-monster ''Martha the Monster'' - Palm Springs International Film Festival] Archived 4 September 2017</ref> "Doctor Doctor" also appeared in season one of the television series ''The Bold Type''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170904123719/http://freeform.go.com/shows/the-bold-type/news/the-bold-type-official-music-guide-season-1 The Bold Type Official Music Guide Season 1] ''Freeform''. Archived 4 September 2017.</ref>
==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of studio albums, with selected details ! Title ! Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''Stadium Cake'' | * Released: 1 July 2016<ref name=StadiumCake/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/stadium-cake/1099667711|title=Stadium Cake(DD)|website=Apple Music|date=2016|accessdate=10 September 2020}}</ref> * Label: Barely Dressed <small>(BARELY005)</small> * Formats: CD, LP, digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''I Wasn't Only Thinking About You... '' | * Released: 26 October 2018<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/i-wasnt-only-thinking-about-you/1429545940|title=I Wasn't Only Thinking About You... (DD)|website=Apple Music|date=26 October 2018|accessdate=10 September 2020}}</ref><ref name=NPR>Madeline Clement (2018) [https://www.npr.org/2018/10/18/657488409/first-listen-oh-pep-i-wasn-t-only-thinking-about-you "Oh Pep! Embraces Pop On 'I Wasn't Only Thinking About You...'"] NPR, 18 October 2018. Accessed 28 November 2018.</ref> * Label: People Speak * Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming |}
===EPs=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" |+ List of EP, with selected details ! Title ! Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''Oh Pep!'' | * Released: 6 September 2012<ref name="Lip" /> * Label: Oh Pep! * Formats: CD, digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''II'' | * Released: October 2013 * Label: Stadium Cake Records * Formats: CD, digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''Living'' | * Released: November 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/living-ep/1060969356|title=Living (DD)|website=Apple Music|date=November 2015|accessdate=10 September 2020}}</ref> * Label: Barely Dressed <small>(BARELY004)</small> * Formats: CD, LP, digital download |- ! scope="row"| ''Oh Pep! On Audio Tree Live'' | * Released: October 2016<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/au/album/oh-pep-on-audiotree-live-ep/1167796360|title=Oh Pep! On Audio Tree Live (DD)|website=Apple Music|date=October 2016|accessdate=10 September 2020}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> * Label: AudioTree * Formats: digital download |- |}
==Awards and nominations== ===Music Victoria Awards=== The Music Victoria Awards (previously known as The Age EG Awards and The Age Music Victoria Awards) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|title= Previous Nominess|website= Music Victoria|accessdate= 13 August 2020|archive-date= 19 September 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200919214225/https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|title=Previous Winners|website=Music Victoria|accessdate=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731040330/https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{awards table}} |- | Music Victoria Awards of 2014 | ''II'' | Best Folk Roots Album | {{nom}} |- | Music Victoria Awards of 2015 | ''Living'' | Best Folk Roots Album | {{nom}} |- | Music Victoria Awards of 2016 | ''Stadium Cake'' | Best Folk Roots Album | {{won}} |- {{end}}
===National Live Music Awards=== The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. {{awards table}} |- | National Live Music Awards of 2019<ref name="2019noms">{{cite web|url=https://www.nlmas.com.au/2019/10/22/here-are-your-2019-national-live-music-awards-nominees/|title=HERE ARE YOUR 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES!|website=NLMA|date=22 October 2020|accessdate=5 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="2019wins">{{cite web|url=https://www.nlmas.com.au/2019/12/05/and-the-winners-of-the-2019-national-live-music-awards-are/|title=AND THE WINNERS OF THE 2019 NATIONAL LIVE MUSIC AWARDS ARE… |website=NLMA|date=5 December 2020|accessdate=5 September 2020}}</ref> | Themselves | International Live Achievement (Group) | {{nom}} |- {{end}}
===Other awards=== * In April 2014, Oh Pep! were named "Young Folk Performer of the Year" at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.<ref name="NatFolk">[http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/sticky-carpet-20140424-376zi.html "Local folk acts shine"] ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (25 April 2014). Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref><ref name="Moyne">Anthony Brady, [http://www.moynegazette.com.au/story/2830538/stars-on-their-way-to-koroit-irish-festival/ "Stars on their way to Koroit Irish Festival"] ''The Moyne Gazette'' (22 January 2015). Retrieved 10 April 2015</ref>
==References== ===Notes=== {{Reflist|group=upper-alpha}}
===Citations=== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://ohpep.com/ Official site]
Category:21st-century Australian singers Category:21st-century Australian women singers Category:Australian women pop singers Category:Australian girl groups Category:Australian indie pop groups Category:Australian musical duos Category:Dualtone Records artists Category:Female musical duos Category:Musical groups established in 2009 Category:Musical groups from Melbourne Category:Pop music duos Category:Australian all-female bands Category:All-female pop bands