The Eighth Note is 8 quick Questions with Wellington Musicians. A chance for us to catch up with people & see what they’re up to, or introduce you to a new musician/band and their music. Up next is Olga Lapin, who records under the moniker Bodyache.
Who are you? Tell us a bit about your music:
Kia ora! My name is Olga Lapin (she/her) and I’m 24 years old. I originally started Bodyache back in 2018 while still at Uni and was an outlet for my mental health struggles. It originally started as a harsh noise project, with links to hardcore punk/grindcore. But as the project matures I’ve slowly moved into noise/industrial with ambient/shoegaze influences, focusing on more on atmosphere than aggression. I spent many years gigging around the country playing Harsh Noise, and playing in local Grindcore and Post Hardcore groups (Marrowspawn and Coerced) in and around Wellington.
What have you been working on lately? Any new tracks or albums on the way?
I’ve just released my second full length titled Bodyache. It’s a departure from the more violent sounds of my first 2 releases as my last LP, Demonstration of Intent that was created to mark the end of the noisegrind era for Bodyache, and to celebrate noise + grindcore genres. I had used a lot of strings (violins, cellos, violas) to create some of the sounds for that album, and the self titled is entirely stripped down to this element while still incorporating elements of Noise + Industrial on the later tracks.
Where is the best place people can follow you & find your music?
You can follow my Facebook, my Instagram, and my Bandcamp.
What were the 3 most influential albums to you growing up?
It’s really hard to only pick 3 however, I’ve narrowed it down from my Last.fm stats
Full of Hell & Merzbow – Full of Hell & Merzbow
Earwig – Under My Skin I am Laughing
Tim Hecker – Harmony in Ultraviolet
Which other Wellington musician (s) would you most like to work with?
Vital Artery, Raiden Freeman, Z Marsh, Tofujuice and Deathtrippa.
What’s your favourite Wellington venue to play in?
Valhalla is the classic and most important for more louder/extreme genres and almost a second home, but I really enjoyed playing a harsh noise at Moon Bar. The smaller more intimate vibe really amps the emotion in the loud noises!
In your songwriting or composing (or the band’s songwriting) how do the compositions and songs take shape?
Often it’s sparked by an emotion, a memory or a sound. It’s usually a very vague feeling that I have something I need to make and then I chip away at it until my brain feels the pieces fitting. In a more literal sense, I often start with plugging all my pedals and gear up and see what sounds I can produce in a set time period, then cut any specific sounds I like. I also enjoy recording field recordings while I’m walking around the city or suburbs. Sometimes you can just hear something in the distance that really puts a “!” in my head.
Where/when is your next gig?
I’ve been taking a hiatus from gigging currently, as I focus on settling down and making a stable homelife for myself. Maybe I’ll play a set in my future garden?