Oh Pep!: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

October 16, 2015 by BOB BOILEN
I've seen Oh Pep! four times in three cities in the past month, and needless to say, the Melbourne band's music is infectious. Oh Pep gets its Oh from Olivia Hally (vocals, guitar) and its Pep! from Pepita Emmerichs (violin, mandolin). These Australians fit well in Nashville during an Americana music festival, as they played fiddles and mandolins alongside guitars, bass and drums. Their harmonies are sweet, with lyrics that are thoughtful, deep, funny and poetic.

Hally and Emmerichs told me they used to sit in their bedrooms back home watching Tiny Desk Concerts, so this day at NPR was a bit surreal for them, as they'd already traveled thousands of miles. Thankfully, Oh Pep!'s performance harnessed that surreality for a performance filled with magic.