It is high time we do something on Once Okay Twice. The band has been putting out EPs like no one’s business, playing literally every venue you’ve heard of in DC (even some you probably have not heard of), opening for acts as varied as Ziggy Marley and 311 and Junior League and in general being very, very busy spreading their indie poprollicking sound around. Tonight they’re headlining Rock’n'Roll Hotel (for those into reality gossip, Wicked Liquid, the band of one of the Real World DC housemates, is opening) and they’ve been kind enough to share some of their songs with us. Kick off your Thursday noon right:

Smooth Eclipse Of The Soul

This song dates back pretty far but has evolved since the band’s beginnings back in 2005. At the heart of the song are some jazz chords and some mild syncopation with the drums and bass. Nick, Dan, and I tracked the guitar, bass and drums live with Don Z at Inner Ear. We recorded a demo version of this in my attic that had Erika’s violin parts. Lyrically, Ian is swish-money on this song with his soaring melody and inner-planetary themes about moon shoes and his nemesis: gravity. He (along with myself and Eka) are big fans of Tears for Fears and you can hear that in the keyboard and synth parts. Tyler– one of the best technical guitarists I’ve worked with– thickened up my OG scratch guitar tracks and brought some pitch-perfect harmonies to the second pre-verse.

I Have An Illness

This song started with Nick’s the bass line and then came together almost instantly. The driving nature and simple layout gives it a Joy Division quality, which the less mainstream crowd relates too. Erika’s violin work alternates between plucking and playing with the bow. Ian’s lyrics are easy to understand on the surface but have a deeper meaning. Rarely does he sing anything that isn’t a metaphor for something else. Whether it’s positive or negative, it’s inspirational. Our producer Ed Churchman remixed this song using just our vocals, the guitar line and his own elements.

Michael Night

Nick has a little looping pedal that he uses to layer little parts at home. He came to practice with the first riff idea completed. We just added some atmospheric guitars and that outro that borders on 90’s alternative rock. The keys and synths shine on this song and that component has been increasingly important as we moved forward with our sound– especially during the lineup changes we’ve endured over the last 4 years. This song was originally dubbed “Sans Kito” after this kid named Kito who impersonated Ian at a bar and got thrown out. We got phone calls the next day that Ian was banned from the club. They probably should ban him anyway just to keep safe.

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Befriend the band on myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/onceokaytwice and make sure you check them out live tonight @ RNR Hotel