Omni is a three piece band from Atlanta, Georgia, with a sound that is, at this point, hard to put in any genre—it transcends indie rock, post-punk and new wave, creating a sound of its own. Bassist Phil Frobos and guitarist Frank Broyles formed Omni as an evolution from their first band, Landline, in 2015. Their name is an homage to the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta that not only is the home of the Hawks, but has also housed acts like Led-Zeppelin and David Bowie throughout the years.
“We had a month-long battle of trying to figure out our band name,” says Frobos. “I feel, in an odd way, it best represents our music.”
They put together a sound that draws influence from old school 70s punk/new wave artists such as Talking Heads and Devo, 80s British post-punk artists like the Orange Juice and Josef K, and power pop bands like Shoes, all while adding sprinkles of modern indie rock.
In Atlanta, Omni stuck out like a sore thumb in a music scene dominated by hard and math rock. Frobos describes Atlanta as an oddball mix of hipster punks, bands that sound like Queens of the Stone Age and early sprouts of electronic pop music.
Omni recently released their first full length album, titled Deluxe, an ironic move considering the album’s production quality. It’s not that the production is bad—its lo-fi approach fits the band’s music. This less-than-deluxe quality is obvious in songs like “78” and “Wednesday Wedding,” where Frobos’ vocals are indecipherable under the dense sounds of Broyles’ guitar. Still, the album as a whole never ceases to showcase the talent of each musician—the lyrics are almost as complex as the guitar playing, and no two drumbeats sound the same.
After having officially been a band for a year, playing occasional out-of-state shows in New York and Chicago, Omni is about to embark on its first real tour of the US and Canada.
“I loved SLC Punk as a kid,” says Frobos, “and I’m really excited to get out in the nooks and crannies of the country and explore these other punk scenes.”
In the course of this tour, the band will drop by SLC. Salt Lake residents will be able to see them July 31 at Diabolical Records.
Omni has something for almost everyone to enjoy—hipsters can get into the general weirdness of their music and opaque lyrics, nostalgic punks can enjoy the call back to the sounds of Omni’s innovative British counterparts as well as respect their DIY ethics, and anyone with a more sensitive music taste can appreciate the softer sound of Omni’s songs.
Be sure to mark the 31st down on your calendars and make it out to Diabolical Records if you can; these guys are well worth checking out. Videos for two of their songs–“Wire” and “Afterlife”–can be viewed here.