Four-piece, Virginia Beach band alt-rock, pop band, OK MAYDAY, have been friends (with a couple of brothers) for decades now and decided to pursue their love of music with creating catchy tunes to the masses. With their latest single, “Blossoms,” they have created a magical song about love featuring lots of synth-relaxing vibes, which is the perfect song to escape to, making it an incredible summer anthem. The music video for “Blossoms,” features fans, friends, family, and fellow musicians around the world, showcasing their day-in-the-life footage. The clips feature people dancing, playing, working, eating, skating, and making masks, with the band performing the song Zoom-style. The video embodies that we’re all in this together, and if we have love, then that’s enough.
Kelly Bollman and Stephen Lee of OK MAYDAY had a laid-back and light-hearted chat about “Blossoms,” the music video, what’s next throughout the year, and their answers to our classic “fun favorites” questions.
When did you guys know you wanted to pursue music?
Kelly: The thought of it crossed my mind once we played hundreds of shows in our multiple family bands growing up and realizing that music was one of the only things that I could completely disappear while doing. After we linked with Stephen and Matthew… the synergy was undeniable.
Did you guys grow up in a musical family? If not, what initially drew you to it?
Stephen: Yes, my dad has always been a student and performer of the bass. Watching him do life and do life with the bass has taught me a lot. That whole mindset has informed a lot of what I’ve done.
Kelly: We did! I picked up the violin at 5 and the guitar at ten and by 14 I was in a big family band. Kinda got hooked after that.
Your latest single “Blossoms,” has excellent harmony, lyrics, and resonates globally. What influenced the writing for it?
Kelly: First off, thank you. Sincerely. It’s an incredible feeling to see something we wrote in the privacy of our bedrooms resonate like this. It’s encouraging! I actually started writing some of the lyrics about a couple of friends of mine who are in the most ridiculously adorable relationship and knowing how they battled through some insanely hard times and came out even more in love. (smiles)
You guys filmed the music video accompanying separately, featuring friends, family, and fellow musicians from around the world. What was filming for it like, and what obstacles, if any, did you guys have to overcome to film it?
Kelly: It was a hell of an endeavor, to be frank. I spent the first few weeks of quarantine catching up with friends and checking in on their mental wellness and their living situation before asking to see a glimpse into their lives. It was a delicate process. The last thing I wanted was to ask someone who lost their job to send in a video of their raw emotions for a global art project. I think navigating the emotional space and asking again and again for videos while the world was on fire while keeping these friendships healthy was a semi-big obstacle. What we received in return from our generous friends was nothing short of beautiful.
Are you guys planning on releasing more music throughout the year?
Stephen: It’s been a crazy year and we’re only halfway through it! Our process of songwriting has been helping me organize this world and my thoughts. Like, as restraining as contemporary music can be, there’s a lot of cathartic moments as the song gets figured out. It’s rather addicting. Basically, we NEED to make more music – it’s for our own sanity! So, yes, we’ve got some more music heading your way.
Kelly: Oh yes. Most def. One of the songs we plan on releasing was originally composed over a decade ago and it seems like the right time to finish the song and release it. Crazy to think about how sometimes it works like that!
Fun Questions
Who was your first concert, and who has been your favorite so far?
Stephen: My first concert was at this random, traveling carnival in Chesapeake, Virginia. The carnival had converted a tractor-trailer into a stage for a couple of hardcore bands. I don’t really remember who they were, but I remember thinking it was amazing and I had to do it too.
Kelly: BB King at The Norva was my first and Billie Eilish at the Norva almost twenty years later was my fave. Coldplay might take the crown though because my soul literally transcends space and time when they play live haha!
What was your first album on CD and/or vinyl?
Kelly: I actually stole a Backstreet Boys album from Target when I was 10. I knew these melodies were stupid good back then and Max Martin is still the melody king to this day ha!!
Stephen: Funny story, my first vinyl was a total accident. Back when eBay was still starting out, I made an account and made my first eBay purchase, awesome right? I thought I had purchased the album Robot Rock by Joy Electric on CD. But once the package arrived I was totally surprised to not find the CD but rather the vinyl of Robot Rock. I mean, I didn’t even own a record player. It was several years till I got my first record player and that record is still in my collection.
Which five albums and/or artists would you not want to live without?
Stephen: Miike Snow, Oh Land, “Make Sure They See My Face” Kenna, “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk, and Django Reinhardt
Kelly: Sigur Ros. Kendrick Lamar. Calvin Harris. Coldplay. Frank Ocean.
Do you have a guilty music and/or entertainment pleasure?
Stephen: For TV shows, I love This Old House, I could watch that all day. As for music, I’m probably not the imagined demographic for Tokio Hotel, Ashnikko, or Ayumi Hamasaki.
Kelly: I love to disconnect in a non-digital way through reading real books. (No Kindles or iPads.) Have been an avid reader since I was young. It’s one of the ways to unplug and use the brain to paint the landscape and truly use the imagination. Biographies to non-fiction thrillers…I’m a book nerd!
How have you all been keeping your creativity going amidst the pandemic?
Stephen: I’ve been re-learning how to be in front of great art. Which for me is learning how to be alone with it and take my time. Like, not sharing with social media, not using Wikipedia or YouTube to inform my experience. It’s been a rather holistic change for me. Also, my mental pace has slowed down, allowing me to have more meaningful creative times. Basically, I’m still learning.
Kelly: I took some online classes on mental wellness and some courses to learn how to be a more efficient engineer and producer and have been applying those principles. Yoga, meditation, exercise, and sleep seem to be the best way for me to clear my head and have zero anxiety when I’m with my own thoughts. Which in turn, help me to create. I highly recommend all of those modalities to everyone!
Follow and connect with OK MAYDAY on Instagram and Facebook. Stream their music on Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
