OMD Marvel Over Synthpop’s Growing Fanbase
OMD (otherwise known as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) have been making synthpop for over three decades, but they feel their fanbase has grown even larger lately. “In the Nineties – grunge and Britpop – there seemed to be nothing more out of fashion than an Eighties synthesizer band,” Andy McCluskey explained at Rolling Stone’s Rock Room on the third day of Coachella. “Even in the Eighties, when we first came to the States, we were selling millions of records in Europe, but we could not get arrested over here.”
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As electronic music has grown Stateside, though, so has OMD’s following. “It is strange, for us, 35 years after we started the band, there’s several generations that are more into us now than there ever used to be,” McCluskey said. “Particularly how many younger kids there are.”
OMD also chatted about their history together, their album English Electric and the slight disconnect between their music and current DJs. However, they’re thrilled about how other artists have cited them as an inspiration. “It is amazing – particularly younger artists, actually,” McCluskey said, “how many younger artists who are interested in using electronic instruments that seem to be referencing us as influential – which is a nice place to be.”
Interview by Steve Baltin; text by RJ Cubarrubia.