Review by Sammy Stein
Octrain are a multi-generational rock trio comprising 2 brothers, John (lead vocals and guitar), Greg (Bass), and their cousin Pat (Drums). Music has played a big part in all of their lives, but with eight years between John and Pat, and a further eight years between John and his younger brother Greg, it took a while for the timing to be right for them to jam! Their first jam happened just before the COVID pandemic. Octrain is influenced by a wide spectrum of rock acts from the late ’60s through to the early ’90s, and their TikTok fanbase members have described Octrain’s music as “Nirvana meets Weezer”. Their blend of riff-driven songwriting with a playful, modern edge has built the band a growing international following, with their single ‘Eaglestone’ marking their first airtime on BBC Radio. Octrain have released 9 singles so far, with their first album release coming soon.
The eight-year age gap became the inspiration behind our band name ideas, and fortuitously, Octrain is also a musical term, meaning 8 lines of music!
Their debut single ‘Lemon Sugar’ is slightly crazy, loud, and very good listening.
Pat says, “Lemon Sugar is a beautifully bonkers rock song that celebrates falling in love with someone just as quirky as yourself! The relationships between comic book-style anti-heroes, such as that between The Joker and Harley Quinn, provided some of the inspiration behind the song. It began with a riff that John shared, and the phrase he felt it conjured up, that became the title of the song ‘Lemon Sugar’.”
The single is chord-driven and very catchy. Authentic, powerful and slightly unhinged, this is impossible to listen to without ending up with a grin on your face.
“Well, she’s my fruit cake. I’m her nutty man, and she calls me pudding!!” say Octrain!
Huge fun and also brilliantly played. This is a band with musical solidarity as well as a sense of strong presence and authenticity.
The band will shortly be playing at London’s Troubadour venue, something the band is excited about. Pat told me, “This will be our first time playing together at The Troubadour, which will be a full-circle moment for John and me. I burned a Jimi Hendrix CD and gave it to him when he was 13, and now we get to play together at the legendary London venue where Hendrix and other heroes of ours have performed!
A band to watch, see and enjoy. It may have taken a while for the timing to be right for Octrain to begin playing together, but sometimes, the best things are worth the wait.
