Oceansize
is a five-piece art rock group formed in Manchester, England, in 1998. The band consists of Mike Vennart (vocals, guitar), Steve Durose (guitar, backing vocals), Richard "Gambler" Ingram (guitar, keyboards), Mark Heron (drums) and Steve Hodson (bass). To date, the band have released three studio albums in addition to a number of minor EPs and singles. The band can be categorized variously as progressive rock, indie rock, heavy metal and space rock, among other genres.
The band are named after the Jane's Addiction song "Ocean Size". According to guitarist Gambler, the band's "old bass player [Jon Ellis] came up with the name. I think, at the time, he was thinking what we would sound like. Jane’s Nothing's Shocking
album, which has the track "Ocean Size" on it, was definitely a big influence." [1]
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Other information
On 4 December 2005, the band issued a press release, stating that bassist Jon Ellis was leaving the band, but would still contribute musically. On 28 January 2006, frontman Mike Vennart, issued a short post on an Oceansize messageboard announcing Ellis' replacement, Steve Hodson - a member of the Oceansize side-project
Kong
and also drummer in 'Capulet'.
"Meredith" from the album
Everyone Into Position
was featured on the popular television drama
The O.C., and "Music For A Nurse" became the soundtrack to an
Orange advertising campaign entitled
Fish
during summer 2006. "Music For A Nurse" was also featured in the motion picture
The Invisible
(2007)
The band, in getting a new record deal, sought to find one that would better support the band in terms of promotion and financial backing for international (e.g. U.S.) touring. Mike Vennart implied in a recent interview that the record deal was contingent on the band writing two tracks "on order" for the company. These mp3s were released on the band's Myspace page around Christmas 2006 as a band-described gift to the fans. The two songs were "Red Rag to a Bear" and "Siberian Bullshit". In the posting of these mp3s, Vennart described these tracks as "warts an' all," and suggested that they would not show up on the new album.
Their third album,
Frames
, was released on 1 October 2007 on
Superball Music (home of
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead,
Pure Reason Revolution and
The Amber Light).
According to the band's official website, the band are "writing a new album which we are very excited about. Fifteen songs all under four minutes".
[2] On 5 August 2008, Vennart posted on the official messageboard "we're hoping to get it out for next summer, in the meantime there's still talk of a US tour, but finding a suitable support tour is proving virtually impossible" and talked about new songs.
[3]
The band will release a live
box set in 2009, entitled
Feed to Feed
.
[4] It will be released in Germany on August 28th and the rest of Europe on August 31st.
[5] The release will be limited to 5000 copies.
[6]
The band will release a new EP, entitled
Home and Minor
, in October 2009.
[7]
Side projects and collaborations
The band's side project Kong, consisting of Steven Hodson and Mark Heron, recorded their debut album “Snake Magnet” in the summer of 2007 at
The Works Recording Studio in
Bredbury (where
Everyone Into Position was recorded). Kong have now signed with Los Angeles based label White Drugs, home of The Bronx, and will release “Snake Magnet” in 2009. Two singles precede this on Brew Records
Oceansize also share a camaraderie with fellow Mancunian band
Amplifier, with the bands referring to each other as “brothers-in-amps”
[8]. Mike Vennart and Steve Durose supplied backing vocals on two of the tracks on Amplifier's self-titled
debut album, while Amplifier's front-man Sel Balamir is credited in Oceansize's song “Sizeofanocean”.
During the recording of
Everyone Into Position
in 2005 at
The Works Recording Studio, Vennart ran into
Snoop Dogg, and recorded guitar parts for the rapper's demos.
Discography
Albums
- Effloresce
(2003)
- Everyone into Position
(2005) #192 UK
- Frames
(2007)
Box Sets
EPs
- Amputee EP
(1999)
- A Very Still Movement EP
(2001)
- Relapse EP
(2002)
- Music for Nurses
EP (2004)
- Home and Minor
EP (2009)
Singles
- "Saturday Morning Breakfast Show" (1999) (7" Vinyl Only)
- "One Day All This Could Be Yours" (2003) (CD/10" Vinyl)
- "Catalyst" (2003) (Download Single)
- "Remember Where You Are" (2003) (CD/7" Vinyl)
- "Catalyst" (2003) (CD/7" Vinyl)
- "Heaven Alive" (2005) (CD/7" Vinyl)
- "New Pin" (2006) (CD/7" Vinyl)
- "Walking in the Air" (Cover version) (2007) (Free Christmas Single, Web Only)
Members
- Mike Vennart - guitar, lead vocals
- Steve Durose - guitar, backing vocals
- Richard "Gambler" Ingram - guitar, keyboards
- Steven Hodson - bass, keyboards (2006-present)
- Mark Heron - drums
Former members
- Jon Ellis - bass, keyboards (1998-2005)
Interviews
Radio
- - 3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia