OK Koala

Pop-punk with power-pop and emo influences - Nashville, TN

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Despite the images of cuddly marsupials that the name conjures, OK Koala’s music is anything but lighthearted. Th e Nashville, TN-based band pairs upbeat, driving instrumentation with moody, introspective lyrical content, creating a warmly cathartic sound inspired by 2000s and 2010s pop-punk, emo, and alternative rock that feels fresh yet familiar.

OK Koala was originally formed in Boone, North Carolina as a solo project of frontperson Logan Flanagan. While studying music production at Appalachian State University, Flanagan enlisted a few classmates to help them record OK Koala’s debut EP, Coping Mechanisms, which was released independently in September 2018. After graduating, Flanagan relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, continuing to record and release music independently, but the band would not take full form until a few years later.

When the 2020 lockdown put the music industry on hold, Flanagan began working on a new batch of songs that eventually became their 2023 debut full-length album All Of It, All At Once, an eclectic look at four years’ worth of mind noises brought to life. When the world opened up again, so did the band, expanding to include bassist Rose Berry and drummer Caison Rogers. Over the last few years, OK Koala has evolved into a dynamic powerhouse that is an active, integral part of the Nashville DIY alternative scene.

Their live performances reflect the duality of the music itself - full of infectious energy and fun while still allowing space for vulnerability and introspection. As members of the LGBTQIA+ community who strive to be outspokenly progressive, they are firm believers in the power of community. Their latest single, “Roaring Lungs,” is out now on all platforms, and they plan to follow it up with more new material in 2026.