This Oceanic Feeling, are a new three piece band fronted by singer/songwriter & producer Chris Braide, drummer Ash Soan, and bass & guitar specialist Lee Pomeroy, all of whose reputations precede them as they prepare to release their debut album Universal Mind on 17th July 2015 through Cherry Red Records.
Braide and Soan had been founder members of The Producers alongside Trevor Horn, and on linking up again after singer returned from the USA, they found their old chemistry was still there and the idea of forming a new band immediately took shape.
The muse was swiftly awakened and an album’s worth of new songs came into life, the lyrics tasked to face the unresolved dualism between fake and real self and their eternal fight for dominance. “It’s a positive album, one that I’m proud of and one that I had to make,” said Braide enthusiastically. On inviting Lee Pomeroy to join them their distinctive creative venture solidified further and This Oceanic Feeling was born. Braide compares the album’s sound to “The Police or Yes 90125-era, big shiny new wave pop music with rock trousers on and occasionally prog sandals!” Having exclusively heard extracts from the album, RAMzine can attest that this appears to be the case, but also has a transatlantic modern flavour to it.
This sound is a combination of the three individuals varied backgrounds. Chris Braide is renowned for producing and writing songs pop stars such as Beyonce, Lana del Rey, Paloma Faith, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, David Guetta and Sia amongst others, and recently producing and co-writing Marc Almond’s new album The Velvet Trail. Drummer Ash Soan’s diverse pedigree includes playing with the likes of Adele, Lily Allen, Rumer, Mark Owen, Cher, Dido, The Wanted, Nelly Furtado and on Billy Idol’s latest album Kings And Queens of the Underground, while Lee Pomeroy has worked with some of the longtime established greats, as performing in the band for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert (Tom Jones, Robbie Williams etc) and for the return of ELO in Hyde Park last year, Rick Wakeman, It Bites and James Morrison, last year touring with Steve Hackett on the 2014 Genesis Revisited Tour and currently working with Take That. A diverse range of music to say the least, but each at the top of their individual games.
Universal Mind is said to be for those whole their melody with a meaningful after taste, and listeners are invited to “Take the journey across its cinematic landscape, from darkness to light, to escape the person you were and embrace the person you really are.” Track listing for the record is as follows:
- Lie Detector
- Put Down The Gun
- Radio
- Logotherapy
- Universal Mind
- Intensive Care
- Wake Up
- I Play Debussy
- Johnny Tragic
- Karma Camera
- Season of Light
- Finale
Pre-orders on both the CD and vinyl editions of Universal Mind are currently available prior to its general release on 17th July.
