Ollie Twohill’s composition “Washed Away” is a tribute to the Australian towns ravaged by the 2022 floods. It depicts the raw feelings of sorrow and despair felt by flood victims and serves as a poignant reflection of nature’s power and the human spirit’s resilience.
Ollie Twohill is a singer-songwriter from Australia’s east coast. He performs melodic indie pop/rock songs on the guitar. After learning his trade on the streets of the Northern Rivers and the southern Gold Coast of NSW, he has been performing live in venues for the past 7 years. His parents said he could sing before he could talk! He is currently a one-man band, singing and playing guitar with loop pedals, a stomp box, and a high hat.
Ollie Twohill has released seven singles since October 2020, with the most recent one, “Washed Away,” about the 2022 terrible floods, which was released on February 24, 2023, and I strongly recommend that you listen to it. “Washed Away” was composed in response to the disastrous floods that ravaged Southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales on Monday 28th February 2022, affecting Ollie Twohill’s hometown of Murwillumbah and eventually affecting Australia as a whole.
During the cleanup phase, Ollie Twohill worked in a small bottle shop, one of the few businesses open in town. For seven days, there was no power, no internet, no access to banking, and no food. Families would gather at the hotel at night after cleaning up all day to eat, drink, and share their stories and experiences. He had dozens of people inform him that their house had been entirely flooded and ruined, and they had lost all of their stuff. Some people were only able to save a pair of dry board shorts or an electrical device. It was heartbreaking…. it was a very emotional time for everyone – these stories influenced Ollie Twohill to write “Washed Away”
The strength of this song rests in its ability to elicit strong emotions. Ollie Twohill’s lyrics are a wonderful blend of raw emotion and poignancy. As he sings about the flood that destroyed his hometown, he expresses the people’s sense of grief and hopelessness. The formerly lively and active town is now gloomy and dead. The flood took everything, leaving just agony and despair.
This song’s production is excellent, perfectly matching Ollie’s raw voice. The guitars are explosive, while the percussion keeps the song moving forward with a solid tempo. The production and lyrics are perfectly balanced, with each part boosting the other. This song is dedicated to all communities devastated by the 2022 flood occurrences. This is a story that has to be told. Hopefully, “Washed Away” captures how flood victims felt at the time.
“Washed Away” is a song that will linger in your mind and heart long after it’s over. I strongly recommend that you listen to this song and add it to your playlists. Ollie Twohill is an artist to watch, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in the future.
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