The new Billabong x Otis Carey drop is here, so we called up the Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung artist, surfer and family man for a quick chat…

When we gave Otis a buzz, you could really sense through the line how pumped he is about the new Billabong collab. Over the years since he’s been with Australia’s most iconic surf brand, he’s done nine collaborative releases, but this one feels a little different.

Whether it’s the playful tone of the campaign video – directed by Sam Brumby and also starring Billabong surfer Bodhi Simon – or Otis’ reimagining of traditional camo patterns, you can tell that he’s wanting to have fun with this one.

It could be that that’s where his muse has taken him, and it could also be a reflection of the pleasure he gets from life as a dad. Throughout our chat, his kids were somehow woven into a lot of it; clearly he’s really seeing the world through their eyes at the moment.

The collection, which is anchored in his ancestry and identity as a First Nations artist, includes shirts, shorts, swimmers and accessories that are purpose-built for exploration and activity, be it in the ocean, river or the bush. A by-product of being designed by one of the country’s most in-demand artists means they, of course, also look rad.

And then there’s the fish… It might be easier if we just let Otis explain…

Shop the Billabong x Otis Carey collection here and at all good surf shops now, and check out our interview below:

What was the inspiration behind this whole collection?

I mean, I love fishing. It’s kind of like my escape whenever I need to just sort of tap out from the world when everything gets a bit too noisy and I need to ground myself. I just love going fishing, walking the bank. And mangrove jack fishing’s one of my favourite types to fish to target. I just wanted to do a range where there’s a bit of fishing gear and a bit of just your regular sort of clothing. So the range is just inspired by just the love for fishing, being out on country, and just grounding myself. And yeah, that’s pretty much the crux of it.”

Why the mangrove jack — what is it about that fish?

“Well, you lose more than you catch. They’re just such an angry fish, you call them red dogs, they just go so hard.”

“For instance, I did that sort of red black camo, because they’ll sit up under brush and under logs and crevices, and they’ll just come out and just smash your lure. That’s kind of like the concept of the camo, is in regards to that, and how they’re just really elusive and they just sort of hide, and then they just dart out and smash your lure.”

How has your partnership with Billabong evolved over the years?

“I just have a really good relationship with Billabong, and they’re like family and we just love creating things and shooting the campaigns. We all just have so much fun and we all just get along. There’s great communication and we all understand each other. It’s just a really enjoyable collaboration to create every year.”

Do you still get a kick out of seeing people wearing your gear?

“Oh man, I’m so proud. It makes me feel so proud to see people wearing the gear. I think my son, Lenny, he’s seven, and every time he sees someone wearing my stuff, he can spot it a mile away. He knows my work. He’s always with me when I’m creating and painting, and he can just spot any Billabong item of mine from a mile away. He’s like, ‘Dad, that’s yours.’ Yeah, it makes me so proud.”

Is art something your kids are surrounded by, and do you want them to pick it up?

“Yeah, man. My kids are always painting next to me. As annoying as it is, I’m forever buying new brushes. There’s one rule in my studio — put the paintbrush in the bucket of water when you’re done — and they never end up in the bucket of water, so I’m always finding paintbrushes dried up and just fucked. But that’s alright, they’re kids, they just want to have fun and create.”

This collection feels lighter than some of your past work — was that intentional?

“This range is a bit different, it wasn’t so much culturally based. A lot of my other ranges, there’s a cultural story to it. This range I just wanted to have a bit of fun and just do something a bit different, something a bit more lighthearted. No matter what I do, it’s got a cultural connection to it anyway. I love camo, camo is one of my favorite patterns, so I was like, ‘Fuck, I just want to do a camo inspired by the mangrove jack.’”

What was it like working with Sam Brumby on the campaign video?

I worked pretty closely with Brumby. I sort of just said to him, ‘This range is about just fishing, just having a good time fishing on the river, chasing mangrove jacks,’ and then I let him go and make the storyboard. It was pretty much all him this time around. It was good to just sit back and let someone else create the storyboard.

I really trust in his vision and his perspective and outlook with his creativity. Props to Brumby for coming up with that storyboard.

Why did you include animals like the snake and mud crab in the designs?

I’ve spent a lot of time fishing in estuaries, and the amount of snakes that I’ve seen swimming across the river, I just thought, ‘Oh fuck, it’d be cool to just incorporate a snake.’ And obviously the mud crab — I’m always eating mud crab out of the estuary. They just tied all together.

Do you have a favourite piece from the collection?

Maybe the backpack. Backpack’s sick. I love the backpacks. The black bag with the flag on it’s my favourite. I’ve never liked bags, but I like that one.