MNZ Interview: Cross Section S03 / E01 – Oceanspace

Aiming to dissect the cross section between the creative process and the industry side, Cross Section is an exciting interview series hosted by Shannon Coulomb.

Oceanspace, a six-piece psychedelic rock band from Tairāwhiti, Gisborne, released their self-titled EP in November 2024. Known for their theatrical, immersive live performances, the band combines nostalgic energy with a fresh, boundary-pushing sound that feels both timeless and innovative. Recorded at Tiny Triumph Studios at The Surgery in Wellington, the EP captures the raw, analogue warmth of classic albums that have influenced the band’s journey, preserving the magic and authenticity of their live shows in a stripped-back yet deeply heartfelt studio recording.

The EP features songs written primarily by Nathan Seaver, with the band embracing a collaborative approach to shape their distinctive sound. Oceanspace’s music draws from jazz, rock, electronic, and improvisational influences, creating a dynamic chemistry that explores fantastical themes such as wizards, vampires, and otherworldly realms. Their experimental use of synths, samples, and atmospheric soundscapes transports listeners into a realm of imagination and wonder. Two tracks from the EP, Witchy and Hello Big Yellow, have received strong radio play across New Zealand, showcasing the band’s unique blend of psychedelic rock and lush creativity. The Oceanspace EP is now available on all major streaming platforms, offering fans an exciting opportunity to experience the vibrant originality of the band’s music.

Congratulations on your new self-titled EP. How did the creative process look and what were the biggest challenges you faced making this album?

Thank you! This EP was really a culmination of developing our sound over several years. Most of our energy as a band went into our live performance, which we stayed busy with between festivals, gigging, and touring. For the EP, we wanted to keep it as raw and close to our live sound as possible. Friendship and community has played a massive role in our musical journey too, so we had some pals chime in on some of the backing vocals which was fun. Our biggest challenge with making the album was narrowing down to just five songs that we felt showcased Oceanspace’s sound. It was tricky to have to choose what songs not to include in the EP and what we thought was more “listenable” in a way. Other challenges were getting our six-piece band free for a weekend to get down to the studio in Wellington and only having 3 days to record. We went in with the hopes of getting 4 songs down and were able to smash out 5, literally finishing the last vocals as our taxi pulled up to take us to the airport.

Do you apply the same creative processes to other aspects of the Music Industry, for example, in your approach to marketing yourself?

We wouldn’t be what we are without community. Oceanspace started through friendships and it’s what has fueled our fire from the start. We’ve honestly had so much support over the years. From getting asked to play on pretty big festival stages within our first year as an original band to the friendships made with other bands from NZ and Aus. Because of the strong support from our community, so much of our marketing has just been word of mouth and connections. That’s where we try to focus most of our energy apart from producing music and art that feels good to us.

Is your creative process something you feel to have locked down or does it generally change on a song by song/release by release basis?

We’ve never had a set “creative process” when it comes to making a song. Some of our songs are just jams that evolved over the course of years that everyone has added their own flare and ideas to. Often times, Seaver will bring a demo that he’s made in his studio and play it out loud and then we all write our own parts and add to it. Or someone will bring a guitar riff or a melody and we’ll start jamming it for hours until we either discard it after a few weeks or it magically clicks and we get somewhere with it. Sometimes we’ll even jam a song we’re still working on live and new ideas will come out on the spot and it just flows from there! 

What qualities do you appreciate the most in other musicians?

Authenticity and originality. 

If you could collaborate with another NZ musician/band, who would it be?

This is such a hard question! There are so many talented musicians here in Aotearoa that we would love to collaborate with. If I had to speak for the band at the moment, I think it would be pretty magical to collaborate with our friends, Dr. Reknaw. They’ve been really supportive of us from the start and we just love their music. Also, Casual Healing and Will McLean would be epic to collaborate with!

📸 @davidrdunham

How do you keep an eye to the future in regards to your work and work ethic? Do you generally focus on just the project at hand or are you considering how it fits into a larger plan?

We have generally agreed to live in the moment together and just go with the flow. We all just want to make sure we’re having fun and improving as musicians and humans together and don’t want to put too much pressure on the future. We’ve practiced about once a week for a few hours for the past four and a half years, partly to develop our sound, but mostly because we just love jamming with each other. We’ve tried to stay true to that core essence from the start.

Where have you had the most success in terms of marketing to the Aotearoa audience? If applicable, has this translated well to an international market?

Generally, the strongest marketing for us is just getting out there and playing live. We’ve had people who saw us play ages ago opening at some random festival and have driven hours to come see our shows years later. Rather than curating a social media feed or going hundy on internet marketing, we’ve been putting ourselves out there in person and it has been so humbling and gratifying to see people connecting with our music and supporting our journey!

There are so many resources available to musicians in Aotearoa, such as MNZ, Music Managers Forum Aotearoa and APRA/AMCOS. Have any of these (or other) NZ resources played a significant role in your journey so far?

We’ve only just started really tapping into these resources and going to different conferences and meetups to learn more about them. APRA/AMCOS has been a great resource for us especially with support of our tours and live shows. We were able to receive support for our tour thanks to our amazing manager putting in the mahi and applying for grants for us. Having a manager or a person who has the time and energy to tap into these resources is so helpful.

Has having access to these resources led to any break-through moments for you, particularly in regards to crafting a successful narrative in your online presence?

To be honest we aren’t the most internet savvy bunch on the block so we probably haven’t accessed as many resources as we should at this point, which is why having a manager is so key for us! We begrudgingly do the businessy things but what we really want is to just create music and art. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to balance both the creation and marketing of music. I think a lot of artists can relate to this feeling. 

Are there any resources that you would recommend to NZ musicians who are coming to terms with the business side of the craft?  

Definitely utilize APRA/AMCOS and learn about the different resources and grants that you can apply for in New Zealand. Also, just talking with other independent artists and producers has been a huge help for us on our journey. It can be difficult to build up a list of contacts and we’ve been lucky enough to have these all shared with us through other musician friends! Don’t be afraid to just put yourself out there.

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Shannon Coulomb is the co-songwriter, guitarist and producer for Auckland Based band Impostor Syndrome. He currently the Head of Music at Birkenhead College, Auckland, as well as curriculum specialist for Music Education at AUT University.

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