Oceansize gehören spätestens seit ihrem 2005er Werk "Everyone Into Position" zu den interessantesten Formationen, die das Vereinte Königreich in den letzten beiden Dekaden zu bieten hatte. Ganz entgegen anderen schnöden Formationen, die mehr denn je auf Tanzbarkeit denn auf Tiefsinn setzen – dieser lässt sich eben ungleich schwerer verkaufen – legten Oceansize eine Entwicklung auf's Parkett, von der man gut und gerne behaupten konnte, zwischen einer und der nächsten Platte hätten ganze Welten gelegen. Zwischen "Everyone Into Position" und dem neuen Werk "Frames", das auf dem neu gegründeten Superball Records-Label erscheinen wird, liegen nun keine ganzen Sphären mehr, was jedoch anhand der Tatsache, dass Oceansize neun Jahre nach ihrer Gründung ihre Nische längst gefunden zu haben scheinen, sehr leicht zu erklären ist. Wir sprachen im Vorfeld der Veröffentlichung von "Frames" mit Mike Vennart von Oceansize über Gegenwärtiges und Zukünftiges:


SJM: Who am I talking to? Could you please shortly introduce yourself to your readers?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: Hello, I'm Mike Vennart, and I'm drinking black tea in front of the 'This Morning' TV show right now.

SJM: What are you doing in days like these when your new record "Frames" is about to be released?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: Well we've been wise enough to take a break, of sorts, while we wait for the record to be released. After spending so much time in each others pockets (literally everyday for over 6 months), it's a pretty healthy option to try and minimize rehearsals! that said, every day is still an oceansize day, with loads of arragements and fun stuff in the pipeline.

SJM: How does waiting for the release of this album feel like?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: Waiting for a record to come out is always exciting; we just can't wait for people to hear what we've done. And obviously, we wanna get out there and tour.

SJM: Just let me say that I was surprised that you will release "Frames" on a brand-new label called Superball Music. Could you please shortly introduce that label to us, because it's completely new to us. What made you think that this decision would be the best for your third album "Frames"?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: We don't really know anything about superball either! they're obviously a shady, invisible organisation to have remained such a secret. We're the first band they've signed. We chose them as our contract with Beggar's was up for renewal but we fancied a change.

SJM: Your friends from Biffy Clyro are on a major label right now and it seems that they are about to branch out. Your kind of music is definitely not the same, but it's campareable in its intelligence. What do you think about this development? Isn't it hard to see Biffy Clyro becoming more polular every day? Do you think that Oceansize is destined to develop in an equal way?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: It is not in the least bit hard to see biffy clyro reaping their rewards. Moreover, it's a joy to see a band who are actually worthy of such attention playing the shows they were born to play. the fact that they are our friends just makes us cheers them on a bit louder. it's especially easy for me to not get jealous about biffy's success, considering they've allowed me to play guitar at many of their best shows lately (reading, t in the park etc). They're a special band, but they've always been special. it just took the right label to throw the right kind of money at it to wake every fucker up to them!
I shouldn't imagine so. We have enough trouble getting played on radio as it is, so any kind of oceansize media saturation is unlikely at best. Our last record was as palatable (commercial?) as i'd like us to get, and as we know 'everyone into position' didn't exactly change the world, as good as it was.

SJM: Because at this point Oceansize are not that popular here in Germany yet, I´m really interested in your status as a band in Britain. I think it differs a lot.What can you tell us about that?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: I think it's probably about the same in the UK as in Germany these days. For a long time we we're playing to bigger crowds in Germany than at home.

SJM: What about the overall feedback on "Frames" in your home country so far? How was it like? Do you care of Germany as a "target market" for the band? The album will be officially released in a few weeks around here…

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: The response so far has been....pretty incredible. the compliments that are currently being showered on us are massive, which is a relief i suppose! I don't really use phrases such as 'target markets', that kind of talk is more for managers and accountants (you know, the ones who actually make the money in this business), but yes, we love playing Germany as the gigs are guaranteed to be perfect, as is the beer and the eye candy.

SJM: Let´s talk about your new album which is about to come: Were there major differences between the recording process of "Frames" and "Everyone Into Position"? What about the budget and possibilities?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: The major musical differences were the result of a shift in attitude and personnel. Our original bass player left during a hundred-year tour with porcupine tree, so we eventually got a new guy, steven hodson, who brought some much needed focus into the group. the atmosphere lightened, but the music did not. as i stated before, though we held 'everyone into position' in quite high regard, it was a flawed record. we had subconciously made a bid for airplay with 2 of the songs, and in hindsight i think it's fair to say that this didn't suit the band. the only rule we made on this record was that there would be no singles. this immediately made the possibilities endless, as we didn't have to worry about what anybody else thought. we got back to realising that if WE liked it, then it was good. i don't really know anything about the budgets, you'd be better of speaking to our manager or accountant, after all it's them who etc etc etc.....

SJM: Were the songs for your forthcoming third album already written and ready for recording when entering the studio or did you rearrange some parts? What can be said about the recording process as such? It sounds way more melancholic and experimental that "Everyone Into Position".

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: We wrote everything in our shitty rehearsal room, then played 6 shows performing nothing but the new material (which was surprisingly successful, despite our trepidation). After the last show, we drove straight to the studio and spent 3 weeks recording, which is pretty quick for us; EIP took 5 weeks, Effloresce was 4. 3 weeks turned out to be just right before we started getting bored. As for the atmosphere of the record, we just wanted it to be pretty dark and gloomy for the most part. i think it's our most evocative record, it makes you use your imagination.

SJM: Every band has a vision of how their album should sound like after recording it. Listening to "Frames" right now - would you say that this was a successful mission or would you even say that the band was able to surprise itself? If this is the case – in how far?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: 'Frames' was a really important record for us to make. When a band loses a member, it's often the case that a significant element of chemistry is lost, and the individual influence of each member is now out of balance. I think there was some sort of unspoken concern for this. there was some uncertainty over the material right up until we played it live before an audience, only then did we all realise it's potential. However, i think some of us only truly got to grips with the whole piece as a whole during the final mixing process. i had maybe 5 of the tracks finished, and then i knew it was something special that we'd made.

SJM: What is "Frames" all about? Is there a special concept, an overall idea behind the whole album as such that connects all of its songs?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: I don't know.... as i've said, it's only in hindsight that it's possible for us to evaluate where we've been and what we've done. The title of the record evokes strength and structure..... it also has a filmic quality. I dunno, it means whatever the fuck you want it to!!

SJM: I know this question somehow sounds like a bore, but I think it's quite interesteng for German speaking people not able to comprehend your lyrics: Thinking of the vision in your songs: What do the lyrics mainly deal with and what´s the main intention behind the songs and the lyrics of "Frames"? Do you want to change something, is the band “just” a release or is it by far more than that?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: I don't wanna go into it, cos yeah, it's boring. Suffice it to say that the lyrics came a lot easier this time than on EIP. More imagined situations, a couple of songs about important people in my life, and a whole truckload of spite and venom.

SJM: In just one or two sentences: What can people expect with "Frames"? What should we be prepared for?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: Be prepared to not know what the fuck is going on until you've heard the record 6 or 7 times. And then be prepared to not stop listening to it, I hope!

SJM: For a band with this format like Oceansize– are you interested in the listeners´ expectations or don´t you think about that when writing songs for a new record?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: If a band, as writers, gives 2 shits about their audience whilst composing they will go mad, and, more importantly, write shitty music. so no, the idea of writing is to blow each other away, then we know it's good.

SJM: Just one or two personal questions: What are your lives like when you are not busy with Oceansize? What are you doing when you are not involved into music?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: We work, we watch tv, we pet our cats. we love our lovers. and we try not to drink like we're on tour all the fucking time.

SJM: I always leave the last statement to the band. Is there anything you´d like to say or just add what has not been mentioned yet?

Mike Vennart / Oceansize: Don't think so. cheers!

(Dennis Grenzel)