CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 152: OSCAR THE WILD ON THE STORY BEHIND GHOST

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Oscar the Wild are a band that thrive in the unexpected. On their latest single, Ghost, the Adelaide indie rock four-piece lean into the blurred line between love and dependence, wrapping unsettling emotional tension in heavy guitars, eerie storytelling and the kind of genre-bending production that keeps listeners second guessing where the track might go next. Inspired by Hannah Kent’s Devotion, the single captures the band’s ability to turn literary influence into something visceral, modern and deeply cinematic.

Fresh off massive support slots with AC/DC and Amyl and the Sniffers, the group are stepping into a huge new chapter with confidence. In this conversation with Futuremag Music, Oscar the Wild unpack the eerie world behind, Ghost, reflect on the momentum building around the band, and share why Adelaide’s fiercely supportive music scene continues to shape their creative evolution.

Futuremag Music: Firstly, congratulations on the release of Ghost. What has the reaction been like so far?

Oscar the Wild: It’s been awesome. We’ve been stoked. It’s already been added to a few playlists, which is always exciting. The best part is that we still haven’t gotten sick of the song, which honestly feels like a first. Usually by the time a track comes out, you’ve heard it a million times and you’re already deep into the next five songs. But every time this one gets played, it still holds up for us. We’ve also had great feedback online, as well as support from community radio, triple j and Unearthed, which has been really encouraging.

Futuremag Music: The single sits in that uneasy space between love and dependence. What drew you to explore that tension?

Oscar the Wild: The line between love and dependence is incredibly thin, and that was something we really wanted to lean into. The song was actually inspired by Devotion by Hannah Kent, which is a book I really love. Even though it’s set in the 1700s, it explores such timeless emotional themes. I loved the idea of connecting a relationship from hundreds of years ago to something listeners today can still deeply relate to.

Futuremag Music: Did this feel like a natural progression of your sound, or did it mark a shift in how you approached writing and recording?

Oscar the Wild: It definitely felt intentional. We wanted the sound of the song to feel as confusing as that emotional line itself. Musically, it’s really heavy and driven with lots of guitars, and at first, it almost feels like a love song. But as it unfolds, there’s this unsettling question of whether the narrator is actually crossing into something darker, almost stalker-like. We wanted that creepiness to slowly reveal itself, so the music and lyrics almost feel like they’re pulling in opposite directions.

Futuremag Music: For anyone discovering Oscar the Wild for the first time, can you introduce yourselves and how the band came together?

Oscar the Wild: We’re an indie rock band that loves to genre-bend and subvert expectations. Nic plays guitar and handles a lot of the logistics and emails behind the scenes. Araya plays drums, sings, and also helps with management, booking and networking. Lucinda plays bass and brings a lot of our visual world-building to life through filmed content and creative direction. Ruby leads a lot of the songwriting and the bigger creative vision.

Most of us, with one exception, have been friends for most of our lives, which creates an extreme closeness in the band. That long history makes the songwriting process really intuitive because we know each other’s strengths so well.

Futuremag Music: You recently played some huge shows, including opening for AC/DC alongside Amyl and the Sniffers. What was that experience like?

Oscar the Wild: Pretty terrifying, in the best way. It was by far the biggest show we’ve ever played, with close to 40,000 people there while we were on stage. Looking out and seeing the crowd stretch endlessly into the distance was surreal. But it was also such a fun opportunity. Growing up listening to AC/DC and being inspired by everything Amyl and the Sniffers have done; it was a huge moment for all of us.

Futuremag Music: When did it feel like things really started accelerating for the band?

Oscar the Wild: We’ve definitely had ebbs and flows, but things really started shifting around 2023 when we began releasing music from our first EP. That was when it felt like we stopped being a baby band just figuring things out and started becoming more intentional.

We had clearer goals, a stronger sense of identity, and a better understanding of what we wanted to build. I think once people could see that growth and seriousness, they started to buy into it as well.

Futuremag Music: And where does Ghost sit in the bigger picture? Is it leading into a larger body of work?

Oscar the Wild: It’s definitely part of something bigger. It’s still very early days, so we’re keeping pretty tight-lipped, but it absolutely belongs to a larger story.

Futuremag Music: I also have to ask - how did the band name come about?

Oscar the Wild: It was actually meant to be temporary, but nothing better ever came along so it stuck. At the time, I was reading a lot of Oscar Wilde, and one of the first books I ever truly fell in love with was Where the Wild Things Are. We basically just mashed the two together and got Oscar the Wild.

Futuremag Music: What does it mean to be coming through Adelaide’s music scene right now?

Oscar the Wild: We love it. Adelaide has been such a supportive place to grow as a band. It’s a genuinely collaborative community and it’s never really felt competitive. Everyone is allowed to exist as their own piece of art, and that makes it such a beautiful space to develop in.

We feel really lucky to have grown alongside so many friends in this scene.

Futuremag Music: Is there anything else you’d like people to know?

Oscar the Wild: We’re launching Ghost with a one-off Adelaide show on April 11, and we’re so excited. We’re bringing down Worm Girlz from Meanjin, which is something we’ve wanted to do for years, and Destinisia is also supporting. It’s going to be a really special night.