Band of the Day: Our Man In The Bronze Age

WORDS: Rob Sayce

NAME: Our Man In The Bronze Age
THEY ARE: Sludgy, nuanced and melodic heavy rock.
FROM: Various Locations, UK

FOR FANS OF: Amplifier, Mastodon, Oceansize
LATEST RELEASE: ‘The Gallows Tree’(Self Released, 2011/12)
SONGS TO CHECK OUT: ‘Eyebags’, ‘The Other I’, ‘The Gallows Tree’

WHERE TO FIND THEM:
Facebook
Band’s own Website

Boasting two drummers and having been kicking about in one form or another since around 2004, OMITBA recently made the leap from revolving door line-up to something rather more solid, and the result has been their excellent full-length, ‘The Gallows Tree’. We quizzed drummer, vocalist and producer Tom Platt on their journey to date.

How did Our Man In The Bronze Age get together originally?

We were all in a bunch of different bands in Milton Keynes, funnily enough, as there was a big underground scene there about ten years ago, and still is. We all spent quite a few years doing that, and Bronze Age started off with a few of the guys wanting to do something a little different. It was a lot more instrumental back then, and it became a band that people would dip in and out of. It floated along like that for a little while, and then in the past two years we’ve settled into this current, more solid line-up. We’ve grabbed it by the horns and ridden it in a different direction.

How did you find the creative process for ‘The Gallows Tree’?

With the writing we’d get together as often as we could, spend a day knocking around ideas… I’d bring my recording equipment and get the ideas down. The album started off as one long, 45 minute piece of music, but it steadily got chopped down. It was a great experience, and we really love it.

What’s the reaction been like at your shows supporting this record?

Surprisingly, people have really gotten into what we’re doing live. When we started we were pretty cautious about how people were going to receive it, it’s quite complex to listen to and take in on first go. Generally, by the middle of a set people are really hooked into it, and by the end things have exploded a little bit. It’s been awesome so far, and very encouraging.  When it comes to gigs we go for quality rather than quantity, as it’s great to play with bands you like and respect.

Do you know what’s next for OMITBA?

Right now we’re working on building the name a bit, doing some quality gigs, and we’re also writing some new stuff. I think our next material is going to be a little more accessible, but as to whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, who knows (laughs). We’ll see.