The Ocelots

About

The Ocelots are twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Watson from Wexford. Building on the folk-rock essence of their debut, the duo release of their highly anticipated second album, Everything, When Said Slowly, 7th February 2025. This album unveils a richer, more expansive sound, masterfully produced by long-time collaborators Cillian and Lorcan Byrne (Ailbhe Reddy, Susan O'Neill). The narrative woven throughout the album explores themes of Irish migration, the perception of time, love, and the simple joys of cycling.

"The title Everything, When Said Slowly is a response from an old Irish man's perspective on people leaving our hometown of Wexford over the years past. He said it was a very long time since they left, but not much time if you said it fast. I found it wonderful and profound, but also deeply moving and fitting for the album's sentiment. How time flies or drags depending on what you're experiencing, especially when it's time in a place you said goodbye to."

Blood harmonies are the centre of The Ocelots' sound - imperfections of a voice breaking or a tempo shifting. Recorded live in Orphan Recording Studios, by Gavin Glass (Lisa Hannigan, BellX1, David Keenan, John Grant, Villagers), the band's performances help form a driven, energetic scrapbook, coloured by flutes, synths, harmonica and harmonium. The twin brothers blend absurdity and sincerity in an array of literature-inspired musings. Open tunings and clawhammer banjo bring country-folk contemplation, but the imagery is very much urban, living outside of the romanticised glaze of wood cabins and cottage-core nostalgia.

"Apart from recording the majority of the album in an intense window of three days, we had a long overdubbing phase back in Leipzig. We were able to be more creative with the final touches. I worked in a bookstore and inside we had this beautiful noisy harmonium. I had a lot of fun with that, and I was in love with the sound. Brandon worked day after day on lead guitar parts, harmonica parts and arrangements for cello lines or extra harmonies. It took way longer than it should have, but it was worth it".

"Steeped in classic singer-songwriter Americana, invoking everyone from vintage Neil Young to Sufjan Stevens." - UNCUT

"Having already seen Wexford duo The Ocelots before, there was a strong hunch their Sunday set would be well worth heading to. Apparently plenty of festival goers thought the same too.. The band, share an easy chemistry and vocal range and the two brothers' brand of upbeat folk Americana has all in attendance swooning. The Ocelots' set confirms that the group are worth all the hype which they've been building over the past couple of years." - Body & Soul Festival Live review - Nialler9

"Pop-infused indie folk with a touch of literature and blarney" - Americana UK

"Blending folk, indie and rock with confidence – a melancholic undercurrent of country-folk adds to its allure" - Songlines Magazine

"Rich in spellbinding harmonies, The Ocelots second album, Everything, When Said Slowly, takes indie-folk in a compelling new direction. Overall, an impressively honest and poignant piece of work." - Hot Press

"Take a step back, and that deep breath - that is what folk music of a modern variety has fixated on, and few are doing it better than The Ocelots…" - Cult Following

"These brothers are young and assisted with only acoustic guitar and banjo, they harmonise beautifully. As well as their own songs they have keen sense of where they come from as they paid tribute to the Mayor of MacDougal Street, Dave Van Ronk. The Ocelots are clearly a band to watch, and you can see them developing quite an audience with younger listeners." - Americana UK Live review