How did you both meet and when did you decide to create Outpost Drive? What is the meaning behind your band name?
Mary Bragg: We met very briefly in Los Angeles in 2019, but didn’t get together until over a year later when Willow asked me out on our first date. We were together for yearsss before he ever even heard me sing!! It wasn’t until last year when I had to move home to Alabama to wait for my UK visa to come through that I really started playing music publicly again. Willow was here in England recording his solo music & when I came back to the UK we decided to start songwriting together which evolved into the beginning of Outpost Drive!
Willow: We spent weeks trying to find the perfect name. All the obvious, cheesy combinations arose. Maybe they sounded cool for an hour or two, but nothing really stuck. I was in the shower one evening, in deep contemplation, and suddenly the name appeared. Outpost Drive is the street in LA where I’d been living when me and Mary Bragg started dating. My friend Pierce Brown rescued me during Covid and kindly allowed me to stay at his house. Within these walls me and Mary Bragg built our love. Coincidentally it was the same street my parents were living on when I was born. Pure serendipity. So Outpost Drive was a name that would always hold significance, and felt like it matched our style of music.
How does your songwriting process look like as a duo? Is it easy? Challenging? Fun?
Willow: Often we write separately, bringing half finished songs to one another to fit the missing pieces of the puzzle. Co writing has been a mixture of pure joy and great difficulty. I think we are still learning the language of working together, while also navigating being a couple. It creates many overlapping dynamics that can make communication complex. But these days we are generally much better at expressing our ideas without offending one another. It’s been a profound lesson in growth and despite the challenges I’m very grateful to have such a beautiful co-writer after years of being a lonely solo artist.
Mary Bragg: Songwriting has always been a very private therapy for me & I hadn’t ever really written with anyone else before Willow and I started writing last year. It felt so nerve-racking sharing ideas openly at first, but Willow and I have worked really hard to create a safe space for lyrical conversation. It’s such a sensitive thing & since we’re married and working together, we have to have some very mature conversations whilst writing in order to be honest in our art. All of that said, I feel so lucky to write music with my best friend and he is my dream co-writer. I am absolutely loving all the music we’re writing.
What's the best piece of advice you heard or that you can give based on your experience, that could help other musicians looking to start and grow?
Mary Bragg: I would say try your best to ignore ALL the noise coming from anyone in your life trying to tell you not to follow your dream. Pursuing music as a career is an unknown winding road without a map to follow, but if it’s your dream then you HAVE to go for it. I let opinions get in the way of my path for years, and it took a long time to find the confidence to go for music again. Keep playing, keep singing, keep practicing. You can do ANYTHING. Believe in yourself & if you don’t now then learn how to!! Pep talks in the mirror, exercise, meditation, consistent practice, etc etc whatever it takes to find an ounce of belief in yourself - then run with it and don’t turn back. You’ve got it.
Willow: The thing that’s helped me beyond anything else is consistency and tenacity. No matter how many times you get knocked down, getting back up and going even harder than before. Anyone can be a successful artist if they have talent and the work ethic to match. I truly believe that things happen exactly when they are supposed to. So in that sense you have to just prepare for your moment, train like an athlete without knowing when the competition will happen. Luck comes when you are skilled enough to deserve it. Also I cannot recommend enough the value in learning how to self produce. This means you can express your ideas without the need to fork out thousands of pounds hiring producers and studios. It gives you the freedom to grow without that enormous financial pressure. Outpost Drive’s growth is directly related to the fact that we’ve had time to get the recordings right, and the space for our style to evolve organically.
If you could gain a new skill or ability instantly what would you choose and why?
Willow: I would be a phenomenal drummer. I’ve been playing the drums on our recordings, but I still feel like I’m faking it. Using recording techniques to make them sound good, rather than relying on my actual skill as a drummer. It’s something I’m still working on and though I’m not far off a point of satisfaction, if I could play like Chad Smith, I would feel comfortable not needing any other musicians during recording.
Mary Bragg: I’d love to be a really good fiddle player!! It’s one of my favourite instruments & something that just feels so beyond my wheelhouse at the moment. I bought a student violin last year to try and teach myself & nearly drove everyone insane as I screeched away at the strings for a few weeks haha. Maybe if I ever have a couple years in a soundproof room then I’ve got a shot at it! Until then, we are accepting applications for fiddle players.
Why did you move to England? How is the music industry different here compared to the USA?
Mary Bragg: I moved to England to support Willow’s dream of recording his solo album (this was pre-Outpost Drive). He really wanted to be back at his home studio and reunited with his family/friends in the UK, and I was up for the adventure. I really love the UK and it’s been such a journey since we got here. The music industry here feels so welcoming and exciting. Weirdly arrived at a time where Country/Americana music is spreading like wildfire, which sets my heart on fire as a native Alabama girl. Really excited to see where it takes us!
Willow: I moved to LA to record and work with two producers. It was a great experience. Life changing. But Covid really undermined our work relationship. So basically I returned home to reclaim my freedom and self record my solo album. I felt this yearning desire to self produce my own music, see my own vision through. The peace and quiet of the English countryside was the only place we felt I could achieve that.
What's the weirdest/most unique talent you have that not many people know about? (Move your nostrils or ears, DIY, vocal imitation, sport, synesthesia, fast mental calculation, etc...)
Willow: I have a bizarrely good sense of direction. Even in places I’ve never been, somehow I can find my way round. Serious pigeon energy.
Mary Bragg: I’m really flexible and have always been able to do all sorts of splits and contorted yoga poses fairly easily. Somehow I have pretty bad balance at the same time which means I end up in a pretzel on the floor a lot.
Can you tell us some funny/interesting stories related to making your debut EP? Where did you find the name 'Handsome Adolescence'?
Willow: We made the EP totally alone in isolation in the English countryside. Recorded, produced, performed and mixed all by us during this past winter! So that’s something I’m very proud of (except ‘honeymoon’ which was done with legendary producer Jim Eliot). It was a dark and cold period - the creation of our music was the only thing that kept us going. Mary started writing ‘Handsome Adolescence’ in LA, so I can’t claim to have helped with that title.
Mary Bragg: I wrote the beginnings of ‘Handsome Adolescence’ while I was dog sitting for music legend, Kim Gordon, at her house in Los Angeles in 2021. Her home is so full of art, stacks of vinyl, fantastic books, and overall great energy so I wrote a lot of music when I was staying there. On her guitar (sorry Kim).
What’s the most important (or reoccurring) message you want to give to your listeners?
Willow: Outpost Drive’s music is about honesty, love, compassion, and connection. We only aim to speak the truth and share the depths of our lives with our audience. Hoping they relate to our experiences.
Mary Bragg: We want our music to be something that brings all kinds of people together. You are welcome here to come as you are no matter what. Welcome to the family!
What's your favourite vegetable?
Willow: I could never betray the kingdom of vegetables by naming only a single favourite.
Mary Bragg: Oh man this is a hard one but im a sucker for some roasted brussels sprouts which would’ve horrified the child version of myself.
What are your goals moving forward and how do you see Outpost Drive evolving?
Willow: We are basically imprisoned - by necessity - in the countryside. Aiming to invest everything we have in recording new music and releasing it as often as we can. I really believe that if you put out enough of a good thing, eventually you will be noticed. Honestly I’m just so excited to keep producing these records and see each one evolve. I love being in the studio, finessing the craft. We both have massive hopes and dreams for our band. I think it’s high time more artists go for their true sound, rather than just selling music for the sake of making money and getting famous. Our aspiration is to spread our art as far as it will go, so long as we never compromise or sell out. I want to create music that moves me and then take it on the road, playing it for people who are touched by our sound.
Mary Bragg: Willow summed it up pretty beautifully. We are excited to keep recording & releasing our music, to keep growing as artists, and to play these songs for the people who connect with us. Looking forward to everything that lies ahead! I trust that someone up above knows what’s best for us & is taking us exactly where we need to be. Really enjoying the ride so far & I know the future is bright for Outpost Drive. We love this band like a child and we’re going to keep giving it all we’ve got! Thanks for listening & supporting us. We are so grateful to have you here!
By the REAL Editorial Team | July 2, 2024