“It’s very well deserved because they are one of the hardest working bands out there right now.”

So observes Francesca Caldara, UNIFIED Music Group’s Los Angeles-based VP of Recorded Music, about the impressive numbers for their latest global tour.

With Ocean Alley’s fifth album Love Balloon out on September 19, the Sydney outfit’s world tour is close to selling out, UNIFIED reports. 

Early estimates have them on track to move more than 113,000 tickets — a huge jump from the 88,000 they sold worldwide in 2024. 

After headlining London’s 10,250-capacity Alexandra Palace on September 27, they head to North America. Tampa, Charlotte, Chicago and Toronto are among those sold-out. New shows have been added to Houston, New Orleans, Nashville, Dallas and Kansas City.

They make their first visit to Latin America, where Shazam searches surged by 1,744% in Brazil and 820% in Mexico after the release of the lead-off single Love Balloon.

Then it’s back to Europe where the Netherlands and Germany were early adopters. Festivals set are at Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza, Sziget, and Boardmasters. The trek winds up in Australia through January and February.

It was a different story when Caldara first saw Baden Donegal (vocals), Angus Goodwin (guitar), Lach Galbraith (keys/vocals), Mitch Galbraith (guitar), Tom O’Brien (drums) and Nic Blom (bass) on their first visit to Los Angeles.

It was at the Viper Room in May 2018.  There were 80 people in a room capable of holding 300. All those 80 were Australians visiting or living in Los Angeles and homesick as well. 

They cheered on the surf-rock-summer reggae Sydney North Beach sound and set stand-outs as Corduroy, the post-hangover song The Comedown with its singalong line “I’m so faded,” and Hold On.

“It was just an electric live show,” Caldara recalls. “Everybody was there to have the best nights of their lives, and I think some of them did. 

“Next time they came through to the US they brought their American friends with them. It spread from there. It’s been the same vibe ever since. The audience has widened to 18 to 60 although the core is aged in their 20s.”

Lead-Off

Love Balloon was chosen as the lead-off single because it musically touches on what fans and radio programmers have learned to like about its records. It received spins in Australia across Triple M, 2Day FM and iHeart.

It certainly helped get spins on international radio, even in America where formats are rigid about genres, whether it be Active Rock or Alternative or Adult Contemporary. 

Ocean Alley listeners are found in all these formats but it’s difficult to cross over.

Caldara explains UNIFIED’s strategy: “We put a lot of effort into finding the right radio partners in North America, South America, the UK and Europe to find people who ‘get’ Ocean Alley.”

The act has 3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify and the Love Balloon single generated 4.5 million streams.

In terms of Ocean Alley’s streaming markets based on all platforms, Australia is at the top of the list, followed closely by the US. In third place is the UK, then New Zealand and Brazil.

A spike in their global presence came after their five year old track Confidence became a TikTok viral hit in 2023.

On November 1, TikTok user Alyx, known for his sped-up versions of songs, gave Confidence the same treatment in a 30-second grab.

It gave the track a new novelty and swagger value. Within two weeks, it was used in 22,000 user videos. Caldara says the global success was pushed from within by TikTok in Australia, sharing internal data.

Confidence was also used as the soundtrack to the  behind every girl with incredible music taste” trend which generated billions of views and was listened to 51,000 times.

Ocean Alley had a pinned version on their official account that captured 6.2 million YouTube views in the first four days. US comedy duo The Dolan Twins and One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson declared themselves fans.

Ocean Alley’s TikTok presence leaped from 200 daily followers to 2,000 monthly listeners at that time. Billboard reported that in the US, the track had a 182% increase in streams to almost 2 million from Nov. 10-16, 2023. 

The TikTok phenomena has seeped through to other social media but also to streaming platforms. Confidence streams were up 1,060% and 2,912% on Spotify and Apple Music, respectively.

Ocean Alley followed up with frequent posts which provided a greater insight to what they were about, and what inspired them. There’s a very good reason why global fans respond. 

“The band have such a clear idea of who they are,” Caldara notes. “They’re very much into their identity of being laid back Australians – just a bunch of guys you want to hang out with and have a beer with and have a surf with. Their love of surfing has also created a moment for them.

“Their Australian-ness adds to their authenticity, about who they are as a band.”

Surf Element

Like other Aussie bands with a surf element in their music – including Midnight Oil, INXS, Hoodoo Gurus, Men At Work and Spy V. Spy – Ocean Alley have amassed a huge following in South America.

Brazil, Mexico and Chile in particular showed growth in listeners and social followers, and that guided UNIFIED’s strategies. 

It used radio, influencers and Spanish and Portuguese lyric translators, and local TikTokers to expand their following. Ahead of its release, Love Balloon hit Number 11 on the Anglo Charts in Latin America.

“It definitely feels that part of the world is catching up to where the UK and Europe were a year ago. Things feel like it’s a perfect fit in that part of the world when they tour there for the first time in October.”

The new single Drenched comes with a video shot in Gracetown, WA. In a statement from the band, “It’s near Margaret River where Baden currently lives. This is in regional Western Australia, three hours south of Perth. 

“This was also a location where our director Duncan Wright spent a lot of time growing up, so it really enhanced the nostalgia and reflection themes of the track. 

“We were lucky enough to cast six local youngsters to embody the younger versions of the guys to further enhance the nostalgia and throwback themes."

The title of the album, according to the band, comes from “the feeling of the album, uplifting, like a hot air balloon.”

Love Balloon marks the first time they worked with producer Nick DiDia (Bruce Springsteen, Powderfinger, Rage Against The Machine). He helped them strip back the sounds and let the lyrics come full centre. The songs are shorter and more radio friendly.

There’s also an extra element for why Love Balloon the album will work with their growing and increasingly diverse live following. While the last album Low Altitude Living was conceived during COVID lockdown, this one was written in the wake of a world tour and sizzles with energy. 

The spirit of Love Balloon builds on Ocean Alley’s applauded rapport with their audiences.

Caldara, who hails them as one of her favourite bands, states: “My perception is they’re aware that people are there to have the best times in their lives, and Ocean Alley give them that.

“At their shows, the demand for encores seems to be a demand for an entire whole set! But they leave them wanting more. They’ll give them more but they leave them wanting so they’ll be there when they come back next time.”