Every once in a while, an artist appears who feels utterly fresh—someone whose music brims with ideas, edges, and a complete lack of compromise. Oxis is that artist. Classically trained as a singer but with a raw, genreless spirit, she conjures hypnotic, beat-driven worlds from a one-person rig centred around the BOSS RC-505mkII Loop Station, Roland VT-4 Voice Transformer, and electric guitar. Live, it’s captivating: pre-programmed beats and synths, layered vocals, and live guitar interweave in a performance that’s equal parts dream pop hooks and meditative ritual.
Organic Honesty
If her single “Long Sardine” hasn’t already made it onto your playlist, that’s about to change. The breakout track from her new release, Oxis 7, has already clocked well over 1.5 million streams on Spotify, and her DIY flair is unmistakable. There’s an honest, organic quality to her music that feels human—even when processed through electronic gear. It’s inventive, experimental, and emotionally charged. Whether she’s playing open mics in LA or supporting The Voidz in front of thousands, Oxis taps into something vital and true.
The story behind the sound is just as compelling. In this Q&A, Oxis speaks candidly about overcoming stage fright, her self-directed journey, and how looping has transformed her songwriting and live performance approach. It’s hard not to be inspired by her commitment—seven albums in two years—and her singular aesthetic that spans music, visuals, and performance art. Read on, and don’t be surprised if you soon find yourself with a Loop Station starting something of your own.
Dancing Between Perfection and Impulse
How did you discover the BOSS RC-505mkII Loop Station?
My brother-in-law, Sam Gendel, showed me how to use it to begin with, and that made all the difference. He showed me how to move all my drum loops, synth sounds, and backing tracks from my computer onto the RC-505. That was just the biggest game changer. It’s the best machine ever.
How did the RC-505mkII Loop Station help shape the creation of your breakthrough single “Long Sardine,” and what challenges did you overcome along the way?
I looped my song “Long Sardine” in my kitchen, and it went viral. That’s when the record labels started calling. When I got the RC-505mkII Loop Station, I tried to hire a musical director. He said, “If you want to loop the whole time during a performance, by the fourth song, I’ll be yawning, and by the fifth song, I’ll be leaving to get a drink.”
So many people said it was an insane thing to loop live. It’s a dance between perfection and making things up on the fly. But it’s really shaping how I make music now—how I play guitar and how I create music.
Have you found your own way of working with the RC-505mkII Loop Station?
Yes. Definitely. It’s an entire world in itself. I’m exploring the effects a lot more now. I’m at that stage where I want to play live as much as possible now.
How do you adapt the length of your live sets?
At the moment, I have 23 songs that I practice daily on the Loop Station so I can be ready to perform a set lasting anywhere between 20 minutes and an hour and a half. I can jam out on any given song for eons.
"I can jam out on any given song for eons."
Do you enjoy improvising with the RC-505mkII Loop Station?
That’s the most fun part. The first couple of performances I did, I was absolutely petrified. I had a slight panic attack onstage and wasn’t able to improvise. But now, I’m getting much more comfortable.
It gets so much easier and fun all the time. The nerves are really, really subsiding. I’ve never been so terrified as when I performed my first show. Everything after that feels so much easier. It feels like I can do anything now.
Into the Void
Your first show as Oxis was opening for The Voidz. How did that come about, and what did those early RC-505mkII performances teach you?
I was going to an open mic once a week and met one of Julian Casablancas’s producers, Jason Lader. He then showed Julian my Instagram. I suppose it was a lovely organic way of meeting people by performing live, playing guitar, and singing. Eventually, I took the RC-505mkII to the open mic, and that was the very first time I tried it live: right before the shows supporting The Voidz.
"I took the RC-505mkII to the open mic, and that was the very first time I tried it live: right before the shows supporting The Voidz."
There were around 40 people at the open mic that night, and everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong. It was like the one time I practiced before those Voidz shows. I was like, “I’m done. I’m fried. I’m going to embarrass myself in front of 1,500 people.” In my head, and when I was learning how to use it, I felt everything could go wrong, and I couldn’t control anything. Oh god, it was so terrifying. But now, the RC-505mkII is my favorite thing in the world.
What does the rest of your live rig look like?
I use a laptop to record loops when I’m posting music online. But I don’t use a computer live at gigs. My live setup is pretty simple: I use the Roland VT-4 Voice Transformer, my Strat, and the BOSS RC-505mkII Loop Station. It’s easy to carry everything around. I love the VT-4. It creates so much more dynamics in my set. I keep it simple. I mainly use the formant and reverb effects. I use either or both in every song of mine.
Do you take a spare guitar just in case you bust a string on stage?
Oh my god, no! Don’t give me another fear!
How has the RC-505mkII changed your approach to performing and producing music?
At first, I had no idea how to play all the Oxis music I recorded live. If I listened to the first three albums, it would take me weeks to figure out. A lot of it has weird tunings. Because I never intended to play it live, I was layering so many strange guitar parts. But now, after discovering the RC-505mkII, it’s simultaneously informing how I make music and perform live.
"The Loop Station also shows me that things don’t need to be complicated."
I’m also making new versions of songs I’ve previously recorded because of how they translate live using the RC-505mkII. The newer versions with the Loop Station are sometimes better, so now I need to record those versions! It’s like a feedback loop.
The Loop Station also shows me that things don’t need to be complicated. There’s so much strength in simplicity if you have the right notes. A minute or two into a song, I tend to be using all five tracks of the RC-505mkII, but that shows me I need to be intentional with everything. That was a great lesson.
Layers and Vibrations
What do you pay attention to when layering tracks live to keep the sound clear and balanced?
If I layer too many vocal tracks, the sound can start sounding a little bit jumbled. Frequencies can build up, like too much low end, which can muddy the sound a bit. I do have to think about how frequencies mix while performing live.
The RC-505mkII Loop Station is a powerful piece of equipment, but people find it becomes second nature to use with practice.
Yeah, thank goodness! Now, I’m just good enough not to be petrified. I don’t have synths or speakers in my apartment; everything is in headphones and simple. I haven’t had any complaints from the neighbors yet.
Do you notice much of a difference between using headphones at home when you’re practicing and writing, and using headphones at a gig?
There were a couple of times when I couldn’t hear anything, but then I realized that I could still have the headphones on stage and run everything through them. So I can still stay in my little world now, and it’s incredible.
Do you notice the vibrations from the PA system?
No. I’m so locked in it feels like I’m still in my room. Maybe I should work on that and make more eye contact, but it’s kind of hard because I have to be looking down at the loops the entire time. So, it still feels contained. Everything is going to evolve so much, but it still feels like I’m in my room in a way.
"Everything is very emotionally driven because of the lack of planning in my music."
Emotionally-Driven Evolution
Aside from other music, what inspires the sound of Oxis?
I’m inspired by everything I absorb, whether it be movies or books. I’m reading a graphic novel at the moment called Black Hole, which is about a group of teenagers and a strange disease that sweeps through them.
Things like that came out in my latest album, Oxis 7, as a darker mood. Everything is very emotionally driven because of the lack of planning in my music. And so, whatever emotion I get from a book, movie, or a conversation, that is the thing that becomes the heart of the next song.
How do you see your music evolving?
I would like to think that the production gets better, my guitar playing gets better, and everything is a bit more refined, but still surprising. I want to keep pushing some elements that I didn’t think I could put in the music. I want to continue to just listen to things that border my world and try things that seem like I shouldn’t try. You know, tomorrow’s song will be better than today’s song. I want to surprise myself. I want to sit at Ableton, word-vomit, and music-vomit, whatever comes out. And you never really know what will.
Do you ever look back at your earlier releases? Do you have any favorites?
I really don’t like to look back that much. On anything. I like to go fast and constantly push everything in every element of life. I want to make as much music as possible. So, yeah, I don’t really look back that often.
"I like to go fast and constantly push everything in every element of life. I want to make as much music as possible."
Are you looking forward to anything in particular?
I always say that I never know what next week is going to look like, although there might be dates of work things or social events. I think that every single day, you never know if your entire world is going to flip upside down. So, I try to take it day by day.
Live in the moment more, you mean?
Yeah. Live in the moment. There’s so much going on that it’s just very hard to think ahead, aside from doing as much as possible every single day. And keep getting better.
Looping State of Mind
That concept ties in with how you make music with live looping. Is that a natural state of mind for you?
Yeah. Definitely. It does seem like a very natural state of mind now—the flow state. I love running as well, and it’s akin to that. Just being able to completely shut out the entire world is a lovely feeling. And that’s what looping does. It’s such a meditation. Generally, when I feel extremely stressed or upset, I will loop over and over again for hours, and it might even be the same song, but it’s so meditative, and it just feels so nice.
Some musicians feel uncomfortable repeating the same loop or phrase.
Yeah, I used to think that as well. Now, I just have to gravitate towards whatever I like. That seems to be the most vulnerable thing, and it also appears to be what is starting to resonate. Like we’re all going a bit crazy, and so to have a little repetitive something feels kinda nice.
The world is a busy place these days.
It is. And we’re all diving deep into our phones and getting thrown every headline. It’s nice to find some peace where you can.
Is it fair to say music is an escape for you?
Absolutely, yeah. It’s always been. I’ve always found that I’m a perfectionist in so many ways, but then this feels like a way I can seek perfection and release at the same time.
There’s perfection in imperfection, right?
Yeah, there is. It’s interesting to balance how clean I can get the loop, but then knowing that if the loop isn’t the most clean in the world, they won’t throw me out of the venue.
Loop glitches can sound cool.
Yeah. I am learning that as well. It does feel experimental. There are no mistakes in art.
"If the loop isn’t the most clean in the world, they won’t throw me out of the venue."
Scratching the Brain with Guitar
Do you have any favorite guitar players?
Saya Gray is incredible. She’s someone I love to watch play guitar. You must check her out. She’s incredible. Her approach to notes scratches the brain in a different way than I often hear. She comes from a jazz background and played bass with Daniel Caesar. So, she’s an incredible bass player as well. But the way that her fingers jump around is just very satisfying.
Mid-Air Thief will blow your mind. There’s a song called “Seismic,” which is a song that I want to play before I die. It is some of the most incredible guitar playing I’ve ever heard. I can’t explain more than it’s just wild and will open a new part of your brain.
I draw a lot from modern music. Don’t get me wrong, I love The Rolling Stones and I love The Doors, but there’s a braininess in the way that a lot of modern guitar players attack the notes. We can be a little bit pretentious, and it’s hard not to let the ego get in the way of how you play, but it’s also just satisfying at times.
How important is it for you to improve as a guitarist?
I did a year of lessons, and since then, I feel like I’m nowhere near where I need to be. I want to be so much better. I keep falling in love with guitarists who are much better than me. And that helps, because I learn from them. I’ll see any video or listen to any song and hear a lick, and just desperately want to play that lick perfectly.
"I keep falling in love with guitarists who are much better than me. And that helps, because I learn from them."
I will constantly be striving to play the hardest lick, but I will probably never think I’m good enough at guitar. Even now, I think I’m good enough to play live, but the things that you can do if you just practice five to ten hours a day … People are so incredible, and just being able to see that online … There’s no ceiling, and that’s a very terrifying but fun thing. But it’s a lot of pressure because I want to be as good as possible.
This Hollywood Life
What’s it like being a young gigging musician living in Hollywood?
There are venues everywhere, and I love a house show. I’m driving up to San Francisco to play as well. I’m in the perfect place. There’s music all around.
Did you feel any pressures or challenges growing up with social media, personally or as an artist?
I’m 27, and I’ve been using Instagram heavily since 2010, so for 15 years now or the better part of my life. It taught me how to shape a character online. People have all sorts of ideas about how your online presence should be. But it really is whatever you dream up.
Your videos have a strong identity. How do you go about creating them?
Thanks. I have a lot of fun making videos. I have my tripod. I have my coding software. I love making videos, so to do it by myself feels like the most natural thing. And it’s also the thing that has the most longevity. As far as the art goes, I like doing it myself.
I use a video software called TouchDesigner. It’s fairly new. I believe it’s Canadian. A lot of people use it to create audio-reactive visuals for electronic sets. You can do absolutely anything you want with it. I watched some YouTube videos last summer and learned how to do some basic creative coding, which led to this thing that I now love.
