A little more electronic-y than we’re usually go for, but ’tis the season for giving and accepting and… stuff. So why not broaden your musical horizons with a band who cite such legends as Floyd and Bowie amongst their influences?
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We’re from just outside Leeds in Yorkshire. UK!
How did you meet?
Myself (Matt) and Rich met through work and just shared so much in common when it came to music we decided to start The Ocean Beneath. Although Rich is now involved much less in the project due to family commitments we’re still the best of friends and he still listens to absolutely everything as it comes together.
How long have you been playing as a band?
We started The Ocean Beneath back in 2018 but didn’t really put anything solid out for people until our debut EP in the summer of 2019.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
The name came really easy to be honest, it was a nod to people not always wearing their true feelings for all to see, thankfully we talk about mental health nowadays a lot more and beneath the surface people can be really struggling. The name just fitted and it sounded great!
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What are your influences?
I would say that different artists influence the music in very different ways. Gunship, HVOB and LCD Soundsystem certainly help shape the electronic palette and grooves but David Bowie and Pink Floyd have really helped with the structures and hooks.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
I’d say blending older sounds with newer production techniques really sets us apart. We bring an 80’s inspired mixture of powerful analogue synthesis, melodic sweeping vocals and huge grooving percussion! Our latest single Skin ft Fran Minney is a really stand out track, it’s got this dark vibe that Frans vocal just compliments so much, go watch the music video on YouTube you’ll see what I mean.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
A lot of our lyrical content comes from our collaborators like Nath Jackson and Fran Minney but there’s definitely a push towards hope and the future when we discuss where a track could go lyrically.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
With the pandemic stuff stopping all live shows for now we’ve kind of put that idea on ice. We do have live shows planned, we even have the setup and how it’s all going to work mapped out but as things are our energy is best spent elsewhere.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
I love to include the warmth and unpredictable sounds of analogue synthesizers in everything we do. This ranges from the classics, the TB303, SH101 to some more modern synthesizers like the KORG Minilogue XD and the Novation Bass Station 2.
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What are your plans for the next 12 months?
We’re already working on new tracks and even more collaborations so watch this space, we just want to keep making the music that we love and hope everyone is along with us for the ride.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Great question, opening for us would have to bring along Nath Jackson, he’s pretty much integral to The Ocean Beneath sound at this point. For the headliners it would have to be LCD Soundsystem, it just seems any night with them would be an amazing experience.
The Ocean Beneath: facebook | bandcamp | soundcloud | spotify
