Spindle Radar: The O’My’s Are Ushering In New Music Era With Emotive single ‘Lonely

Made up of lead singer Maceo Vidal-Haymes and keyboardist Nick Hennessey, The O’My’s is a soulful duo that needs to be on everyone’s radar. Backed by a rich tapestry of sound, the two pull from a wide range of genres, decades and emotions. Over the course of 10 years, the group has generated millions of streams while honing their unique sound. In 2018, Maceo and Nick dropped their formative full-length album Tomorrow and 2019’s EP Above Ground saw the band furthering the sounds explored in its precursor. With their new single ‘Lonely’ making the rounds, the band is ready to push the boundaries on their sound, lyricism and musical trajectory. We were able to chat with the Maceo and Nick about everything from their early beginnings, their brand new single and 2022 plans. Read the full interview below.

Heya The O’My’s! Thanks for spending time with SPINDLE. How’s everything going?

Maceo: Things are going well. We just got back from a trip to Michigan where we recorded a live version of our upcoming EP. Beyond that, we’re excited to be sharing music again as we prepare for another Winter in Chicago.

Can you believe 2021 is nearly over? How has this year been for you both?

Maceo: It’s been a year of transition and learning both personally and musically – navigating the new world that we’re living in and learning how our work lives in the world as it is now.

Nick: Shit I thought it was 2020 still *laughs*”

Let us dive into the music. Before creating The O’My’s when did you two first fall in love with music?

Nick: For as long as I can remember music has been a huge part of my life. My mom said that the easiest way to calm me down as a baby was to walk me over to the record player and speakers. I picked up my first instrument (ukulele) at the age of 6 and didn’t look back.

Maceo: It’s been as long as I can remember as well, it surrounded my household and school life. At home, soul, funk, salsa, and boleros were in constant rotation. On the school bus I found my love for hip-hop.

Is there a song or record that truly shaped you?

Nick: Headphone Masterpiece by Cody Chesnutt was the album that made me want to make and record my own music. It helped spark the idea of wanting to be my own artist, not just learning other people’s music. His home recordings really helped make the idea of creating a body of work and group of songs seem obtainable.

Maceo: That album for me too. We both found that record independently and it really was one of the earliest shared influences we identified with.

Did you two both have the same idea and aspirations when it came to your sound and style? We heard you have been making music together for 10 years!

Nick: The first demos we created were before we even had a band name, not with a particular intention in mind but more of a general commitment to help each other finish songs. Our taste and influences in music have a good amount of overlap which I think helped guide us in the early stages to getting started in defining our sound and we continued to refine from there. Then we each also had different experiences, musical upbringings, cultures so we each also brought new ideas to the table for each other from there.

Maceo: Yeah exactly, we didn’t set out with an intention, but we definitely had a steady understanding of what we did and didn’t like.

Can you take us through the making of The O’My’s? How did it start and become what it is today?

Nick: When it started we were teenagers and over the past 13 years we’ve grown as people, friends, individuals, men, etc. and if you listen to the music you can hear that development, maturity and life experiences.

We need to talk about your latest single ‘Lonely’ – absolutely fantastic! What was the creative process for the track?

Maceo: The song started with the beginning chords then I added a verse and melodies. Later that day, Frsh Waters (of Pivot Gang) dropped by the studio and helped us finish the lyrics of the chorus, but after that it was in demo stages for a long time while we iterated trying to find the right production.

Nick: Yeah, we even stepped away from it for a little bit, but when we came back to the session file we revisited what our drummer Alfonzo Jones had added to it and it helped give it clarity on how we needed to finish it.

The lyrical content and production have such an emotional energy to them. What kind of message do you want fans to take away after listening to the track?

Maceo: The major theme of the track, I think, is “Hope” – looking forward to the possibilities of a love that pushes one to be better both in and outside of the relationship.

Is this track an introduction into a new project? Can you give us a sneak peek into what kind of music you are working on and what stories you’re excited to share?

Maceo: Yes it is, it’s part of an upcoming EP that centers around different aspects of communication, human interaction, friendships through the lens of a year where all those things have been altered, reimagined and at some points out of reach.

With 2022 right around the corner, what are you two looking forward to achieving in the upcoming months?

Nick: We’re just generally looking forward to the ability to create more, experiment more & share more music with the world.

Make sure to check out their brand new single ‘Lonely’ below.