Indie Folk Trio Oliver Hazard Releases Ode to the Frontier of Possibilities “Wild Eyed Blue”
June 21, 2024 BY Emma Orland
Indie-folk trio Oliver Hazard’s new single “Wild Eyed Blue” is a honeyed ode to the frontier of possibilities. Listen to the liberating track HERE.
“I was sleeping outside 270 days of the year, living a simpler lifestyle,” Oliver Hazard’s Mike Belazis reflects, referring to his previous job as an adventure guide in California. “There’s so many people who don’t have a house over them. But my ability to sit under El Capitan in Yosemite with a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich — there was this privilege, this radical freedom to it.”
“Wild Eyed Blue” follows the poignant track, “Haunted,” about the absence of a loved one and “Honey, I’m Hardly,”a sing-along reminiscent of warm summer nights, wrapped in nostalgia. Stay tuned for more details about their forthcoming release.
Oliver Hazard continues to relentlessly tour North America for a slew of headline shows, support dates with the 502s and festival dates, including a support date with Trampled By Turtles and their Newport Folk Festival debut. Tickets are available to purchase HERE.
Oliver Hazard Tour Dates:
Headline dates
June 21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
June 23 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
June 25 – Des Moines, IA – xBk Live
June 26 – Kansas City, MO – recordBar
June 27 – St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill
Jul 26 – Jul 28, 2024 – Newport Folk Festival*
August 2 – Bozeman, MT – Sweet Pea Festival*
August 16 – Huber Heights, OH – Rose Music Center^
Aug 17 – Waterville, OH – Oliver Hazard Day*
w/the 502s
Sept 3 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
Sept 5 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount
Sept 6 – Portland, ME – Aura
Sept 7 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
Sept 8 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
Sept 10 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Sept 14 – Charleston, SC – The Riviera Theater
Sept 15 – Charleston, SC – The Riviera Theater
Sept 16 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
Sept 18 – Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club
Sept 19 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
Headline dates
Oct 16 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
Oct 17 – Syracuse, NY – Funk ‘n Waffles
Oct 18 – Concord, NH – Sound and Color Festival*
Oct 19 – Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
Oct 20 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
Oct 22 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live
Oct 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Oct 24 – Washington, DC – Union Stage
Oct 26 – Lexington, KY – The Burl
*festival dates
^show w/Trampled By Turtles
The story of Waterville, OH indie-folk band Oliver Hazard – Michael Belazis (vocals, guitar) and Devin East (vocals, guitar), joined by Nate Miner (keys, vocals) – is the digital age’s version of classic band mythmaking. One member of the band came home to Ohio after leading camping trips in California and decided to make an album with two childhood friends. They won a Facebook raffle to record one song at a studio. Instead, they played their whole album straight through once, resulting in their debut LP 34 N River (2018). The Fader called the album a “folk-pop masterpiece” and the band was booked at Bonnaroo and Mountain Jam shortly thereafter. In 2019, the band released their 6 track EP, The Flood, which Billboard called a “souvenir.” Their most recent self-titled album, released in July 2023, led to tours with The 502s, Houndmouth, and sold out North American headline tours. With a new batch of music and an endless touring schedule in 2024, Oliver Hazard are on their way to becoming staples in the indie-folk scene. Stay tuned for more news on the new music.
