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Formed under the light of a super blood moon in 2016 AD, Man in the Woods – Marc Vincent (bass/vocals), James Oxtoby (guitar), David Murray (guitar), and Christian Hardman (drums) – craft a unique blend of “Hard rocking, fuzz heavy, stoner, desert, space sludge”. The band recently released “Badlands”, a double feast consisting of the 2018 debut EP “Badlands Part One” and the previously unreleased and much-anticipated follow-up “Badlands Part Two”, and Marc and James were on hand to talk to us about “Badlands” and the origins of the band. Check-in with them both, below.
What are the origins of Man In The Woods and how long have you been playing together:
MARC: The band started in its initial lineup in 2015/2016. At that time only myself and James were part of the band. We had a very fixed focus on wanting to create a band that had an overall stoner/desert rock vibe and that it had a lot of energy when we played the songs live. At this time recording wasn’t even a thought and we were heavily focusing on the live aspect of the band. We also wanted to be entirely original and to play no covers, so our first jam sessions were made up of riffs that myself and James had come up with. Christian and Dave joined after a few months and completed the lineup as it is now. The band seemed to gel very quickly and the ability to write songs and remain on the same page felt very natural.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Man in the Woods:
JAMES: There are a lot of different influences and ideas from many genres that come together to make our sound, We have been described as all sorts, stoner/rock doom/sludge, etc. There are a few things people can expect for sure: big fuzzy riffs, blistering drums, groove-laden bass lines, and vocal hooks, there are some real nice mellow parts and progressive sections thrown in there too. I like to think the mix of styles is reflected in the sound and as a result, there’s something in there for everyone.
MARC: I think what Jay says is right, our music doesn’t sit solely in the stoner genre but also creeps in and out of the many sub-genres, including sludge, doom, punk, and grunge. If you listen to a complete collection of Man in the Woods songs consecutively you start to hear that we jump across the genres but maintain consistency through the guitar’s tones and vocals. I think that these two elements provide Man in the Woods with the band’s sound. The drums and bass add their own thing too, but on a more immediate level, you hear the distinctive tone of the guitars and the vocals before anything else.
From a live perspective, there are a few elements that people will experience if they come and see us play. We have been told in the past by audiences attending our live shows that they “feel us before they hear us”, I guess this is due to the low end we try to push as part of our overall sound. We also get comments made that we are “very loud”, which I accept as a compliment. I mean Motorhead did well out of having that reputation so it’s all good.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band and how was it?
JAMES: Our first gig was on a small stage at a great local music festival in the middle of summer. We had a whole day of sitting in the hot-as-hell sun and drinking before our evening set, Between the heat stroke and too many whiskeys I can’t recall many of the details but I hear it went really well!
MARC: I think for the first gig it went as well as could be expected. I think at that time I was also still dicking around with lyrics and so I may have sung the wrong thing on one or two occasions, but tbh the benefit of me singing the way I do means that I can sing complete nonsense and generally people won’t know. That said having now confirmed each song through recording I may not get away with that so readily now. I think the lyrics are pretty clear on the recording.
The new music scene is bursting at the seems at the minute with fresh talent, in what ways do you feel that a band has to stand out to build a name for themselves?
JAMES: There are so many crazy talented new bands to listen to at the moment, it’s kind of hard to keep up with the scene being so over-saturated with the amount of fantastic new music that is constantly available to us and that’s one hell of a difficult environment to stand out in, man. It’s not enough to just play amazing music anymore, the bands that stand out and make it are the ones who not only play amazing music but also have put in the countless hours of extra effort on a thousand different things to push themselves forward.
MARC: Initially I think you have to take any gig that’s offered and some of those are not always going to be packed venues, so being humble and accepting that if you may only play to five people is important. However, one of those may become a fan and start following you. From our perspective, we have found that social media has been invaluable and is one of the best ways, alongside gigging, to attract a new audience. We also found that almost branding the band with a logo, decent photo’s and artwork has also allowed us to catch people’s attention. Our artwork for instance was designed by Montdoom and it has been a talking point. People have commented positively on the artwork for both the part one EP and the Badlands album front cover art. So factors that aren’t necessarily the band’s own creative doing have indirectly gained us attention.
The 2018 debut EP “Badlands Part One” and the previously unreleased follow-up “Badlands Part Two” has just been released as one complete package for the first time; “Badlands”. Looking back four years, in what ways do you feel that the band has developed since its debut?
JAMES: Yeah I think we have come a long way since then, I mean the ideas, the heart and soul and character behind the music remains the same which is why I think the earlier tracks were such a good fit for badlands as a whole, It’s still coming from the same place. We love this album and I feel for everything we have put into it it has given us so much more back, We have grown and evolved with it along the way as a band and by way of idea, direction and sound.
Badlands is available via Argonauta Records, at what point did they come onboard and where did they first hear about MITW?
MARC: Argonauta Records came into the picture in summer 2021. We had completed Badlands by that point and were looking for a label to release it. Argonauta came back to us quite quickly with some great feedback and offered a worldwide distribution deal. We signed with Argonauta in November of last year. It’s been great to work with Gero, the label owner, he is very open and supportive of the bands he signs and makes the process almost seamless. As a new band on the scene, his guidance has been invaluable in ensuring things are done properly from a PR point of view. I can definitely say that I have learned a lot working with Argonauta over this short period.
Got to ask, but who is Barney Hill and why was he abducted?
MARC: Barney Hill is about an alien abduction that occurred in New Hampshire during the 1960s. Barney and Betty Hill were the victims.
The whole Badlands album follows a narrative that sees events unfold before, during, and after an alien invasion which ultimately leads to an apocalypse. We used the real-life events as inspiration to introduce the idea that aliens were already present within our solar system, had made contact with earth, and were interested in its inhabitants.
Philosorapture is a bit of a banger, what can you tell us about that?
MARC: This track in regards to the narrative would sit post-apocalypse and tells of a lone individual entering the world again after being locked down in a bunker, alone, for several months/years. The song looks at their mental health but also focuses on their new perception of the world and in particular how it has become lawless. These thoughts are brought forward in the lyrics that make up the chorus “Two counts of assault and one with a knife, the war isn’t over who’s running this place”
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the minute do you feel Man in the Woods would be best suited to open for?
MARC: When we started the band I was very heavily focused on it being a stoner/sludge band and we have tried to aim our material at that audience, although I think that over time and as each band member has added their own influence to the music our sound has fit into many genres. We have been told we are stoner, desert rock, sludge, Doom, grunge, and punk and I guess we are a bit of all of those. That said I know which bands I would like to open for:
Red Fang, The Melvins, 1000 Mods, Lowrider, Wo Fat, Fu Manchu, Dozer, Elephant Tree.
On the UK circuit, there are also some great bands and so on a more local scale being able to play alongside Boss Keloid, Tuskar, The Brothers Keg, and Desert Storm would be equally amazing.
Excluding yourself which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
JAMES: I would love to see good things happen for our label mates and fellow humans Time Dwellers, what a fantastic band!
MARC: I would also have to go with Argonauta bands, but I can’t choose between them, so one is Shovel and the other is Highwalker who released their album on the same day as we did.
Who would you class as the ultimate stoner act:
JAMES: Ah what a big question… I must bow my head and show reverence to the greats, Sabbath, Kyuss, Electric Wizard, Sleep, Fu Manchu, and the rest of those fucking amazing bands. This genre has a million faces and I am inspired by so many new bands every day, each one will lead me further onto something new.
MARC: I would have to say Kyuss as hearing those guys sent me down the rabbit hole where ~I~ then found Weedeater, Eyehategod, Kylesa, Neurosis, etc. They all have their own sound so it’s really hard to say who is the ultimate one.
What are your first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do this”?
MARC: My first memory was buying and listening to Iron Maiden’s Aces High, and Two Minutes to Midnight, which really got me into rock/metal music. I did go through a pop-punk phase in my teens where I listened to Green Day, Blink 182, etc and to be honest, I still like cranking those bands up if they come on the radio, gotta love a bit of Blink. I think tho it was seeing Deftones at Reading in 98 that made me think I want to start a band and to front it. It took another six years before I actually managed to find musicians to do this tho.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
MARC: Because of living on the Isle of Man I haven’t been across to the UK to see a band for a long while, we are talking almost 10 years. The last bands I saw were Weedeater at the Underworld and Kyuss Lives in Bristol. I am going to see Fu Manchu in Birmingham in September tho and later in the year I am hoping to catch Elvana – the Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute band.
JAMES: Redfang at Download UK this year, They were insane 🔥
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about:
MARC: For me, it’s mental health and I know a lot is being done now to try to improve things but waiting lists remain long, services are under-funded and understaffed, and staff are burning out due to the case load levels which also means that quality time can’t always be given to individuals that need it. So there is an issue with the lack of money being invested by governments and on top of that, despite attempts to remove the stigma by charities and mental health services it continues to exists. There is a lot of information out there now which discusses the different diagnoses and will allow people to understand what somebody experiencing mental ill health is actually going through and yet this lack of understanding continues which can affect the way somebody is treated because they have relapsed or their MH is declining. The fear of being treated poorly by healthcare settings and the police can prevent people from reaching out. The worry of being seen as weak, especially in men can also prevent an individual from asking for help. It is getting better but I still think there is a long way to go from removing ignorance toward mental ill health.
As a band, we have played a few shows to help promote island-based charities that focus on mental health. So I feel the band supports my views and passion on the subject.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people:
MARC: Umm, I would say either HIM or Blink 182. To be honest I love the vocal hooks that both bands provide.
What new music have you been enjoying in 2022:
MARC: I have been listening to Boss Keloid and Tuskar a lot. Also, the new Spaceslug and Ufomammut albums are amazing, really enjoyed those.
What does the remainder of 2022 hold for man in the Woods:
MARC: We have been quiet for a while now, mainly due to covid and writing new material so we are planning on playing a launch party for the album on island. The remainder of this year will be warm-up gigs on island before we look to play two mini-tours in the UK, these are just being finalised. I am also speaking to a promotor in the states at the minute so fingers crossed that works out. It’s exciting times.
How active on social media and where can people connect with you:
We mainly use Facebook and Instagram for regular updates, but all of our music can be found on our Bandcamp page or all online streaming services. Links are below:
https://maninthewoodsmusic.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/maninthewoodsmusic
https://www.instagram.com/maninthewoods_music
