Oceansize

by Steve Huey Oceansize were one of numerous British bands crafting epic, moody soundscapes in the post-Radiohead era. However, they couldn't be pigeonholed as a Coldplay/Travis clone; their influences ran the gamut from space rock old (Pink Floyd) and new (Mogwai, the Verve) to alternative metal (Jane's Addiction, Tool), shoegaze (My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver), and even the avant-garde (Can, Tortoise). Formed in Manchester, England, the band featured vocalist/guitarist Mike Vennart, guitarists Gambler and Steve Durose, bassist Jon Ellis, and drummer Mark Herrin. Quickly building a local following, they issued several independent releases -- the "Saturday Morning Breakfast Show" single, the 2000 EP Amputee, the 2001 EP A Very Still Movement -- that got them named Manchester's best unsigned band. The following year, they toured with the Cooper Temple Clause and made a well-received appearance at Texas' South by Southwest festival. That in turn piqued the interest of Beggar's Banquet, which signed Oceansize that year and quickly issued their first widely distributed EP, Relapse. A tour with Cave In followed, and in early 2003 Oceansize delivered another EP, One Day All This Could Be Yours, which served as a teaser for their first full-length and received much positive response from the press. That first album, Effloresce, arrived in the UK in September 2003, and was accompanied by a European tour with Aereogramme. Two more singles from the record, "Remember When You Are" and "Catalyst," continued to build the band's steadily growing audience. Effloresce was released stateside in spring 2004.