Oliver Hazard's story begins in a small town called Waterville, in Ohio. These three friends got together after one of the members came home from leading a series of camping trips in California. He wanted to make an album. After winning a Facebook raffle to record one song at a local studio, they instead took the opportunity to play their entire album in one sitting—resulting in their debut LP "34 N River" (2018). This lively showcase of winning folk-pop finds common ground between The Lumineers and Bon Iver, weaving together roots elements like tambourine, kick drum, banjo, and the ubiquitous acoustic guitar into an organic melange of hummable melody, sparkling exuberance, and ambitious storytelling.

Latest single "Ballerina" finds beauty in the entire arc of a relationship: from attraction, to love and loss, and the subsequent discovery that life itself is an endless source of inspiration, even when we don't get exactly what we want. Oliver Hazard is on tour right now, so check their website for performance dates in your area. Their self-titled LP from Nettwerk Records is due for release later this year.

This song, like so many, is simply about the loss of a relationship but its more of an ode, stating its okay, its for the best, but it will never lose its value. The beginning only has a guitar riff. The overall creation of the song is a sum of the bands parts, each member adding their own individual idea and experience to the track.

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Photo credit: Landry Long

Oliver Hazard is:

Michael Belazis (vocals, guitar)
Griffin McCulloch (vocals, keys)
Devin East (vocals, guitar)