Dan Popplewell from
OOBERMAN
WORDS: IAN MARSHALL
PHOTOS: OOBERMAN

Bands come and go as often as a change in the wind, fads and trends will mean some of the most interesting music being made today might sound embarrassingly twee or have an edge which doesn't quite ring true. Some bands do their own thing and craft music that you can listen to again and again, creating albums that hold an audience rapt to attention, even if that audience isn't big enough to satisfy a major label.

Ooberman broke onto the scene in 1998 with their Shorley Wall EP, whose touching title track was widely played on British radio and sounded like nothing before or since. Their début album, The Magic Treehouse, was a mixture of gorgeous melancholy soundscapes and up-tempo pop songs you could pogo all night to. Despite one “hit” single from this album the band never really made the big time and sadly were dropped by their record label following poor sales.

Unfazed, they started their own label, Rotodisc, and carried on releasing records, including last year's critically acclaimed Carried Away. Throughout their career they have been compared to the likes of Blur, Mercury Rev and the Delgados, without ever really sounding like anything other than themselves.

This year they took the bold move of releasing all of their back catalogue on-line as free downloads in a move that was very 2007...

Currently working on individual projects but with plans to record together next year 'Sup spoke to Dan Popplewell from the band about what his orchestral Symphonika project, his thoughts on how to make a living as a musician and what we can expect from the Ooberman camp in the coming year.

Ever since your début, Ooberman have released music that sounded different, that had a heart and a sense of adventure. A playfulness backed with a beautiful soundtrack and a vulnerability which kept you in the minds of your fans even though you only had one “hit” single. What do you see as the defining Ooberman sound and what is it about the project that keeps you all coming back?
What I like best about our recordings are those tracks that capture a fleeting essence of an experience or a memory, like a cinematic, hazy nostalgic take on Stand By Me.
What keep us coming back? Well, the band was our sole obsession for 7 years 1996 to 2003, and it felt like all that mattered in the world was to make it a success, while negotiating the endless problems of industry pressure. Those heady days of big successes and crazy tours built bonds between us. And so whatever else we do Ooberman remains a symbol of an important chunk of our lives, a romantic notion that blends artistic idealism with the simple ego flattery of feeling like a cool person in a good band instead of the everyday humans we really are.
So in short, it's idealism and vanity that keeps us coming back.

Ooberman joined the free music brigade this year by making the back catalogue available as a gratis download for a limited period, including tracks owned by Sony. First of all did Sony react to this in any way?
The free downloads are still available, and Sony haven't been in touch. Let's be honest they weren't exactly selling much of our Sony album so why would they care?

Secondly, as a musician, how do you see the industry creating a model that allows artists to get paid fairly for their work in the future with the sheer availability of music on the internet? Or is it fair to say that most indie bands struggle to make a decent living from this income anyway?
I think it's almost impossible to make a living as an indie band with or without the internet. My experience is that the people spending big money are film, games, TV and ad companies and that therefore this is where to market your music to. If you have a brilliant album you could make £100,000 by focusing on these avenues, compared to losing money the traditional route. To make a living out of selling to the general public you have to sell over 50,000 albums which is very difficult for most bands. Forget it I say, sell a small number of CDs to fans or let them download it free, then earn your real wages from those with the money.

You have been involved in creating orchestral music for TV and film and I gather this is more lucrative, was this financial freedom an important aspect in reforming Ooberman last year?
Yes in the sense that having a wage cheered me up and the discipline of this work improved my work rate so I could do the album in 3 months in a good mood instead of 3 years while depressed.

When can we expect the new Symphonika album and how does it differ from last year's beautiful and serene release The Snow Queen?
It's compiled from music I did for movie trailers. Insane orchestral choral Gothic percussive monstrosities. It's quite cool but it's music for attacking someone or being chased by knife wielding lunatics. It triggers your fight or flight response. Is this a good thing? I'm not sure, which is why I'll only make 200 copies then we'll assess the carnage.

The Magic Theatre project with Sophia sounds very ambitious and extremely exciting what can you tell us about it and what stage have you got to so far?
I have to say I have high hopes for this one. I know I'm trumpet blowing but it's the best set of songs I've ever written and it's just going to have this immaculate production blending modern tricks with real orchestra and choir, good pop songs but weirdly Victorian and Gothic. It feels to me like a very big leap forwards, like a culmination of everything I've learnt, everything I do well, fruition at last. In terms of progress the music is written, half of it recorded but the lyrics are only half done so far. I'm desperate to get it finished now, but it will be spring at least before it's ready.

Finally, when can we expect to see the next incarnation of Ooberman?
We'll have to see. Me and Andy have talked about starting something in spring.

Website: http://www.ooberman.net/