Has it actually been that long?
The Organic Lawn Management are a three-piece, multi-instrumental band from the rural pastures of West Worcestershire, and began life as an outfit in a dusty, half-converted barn back in the spring of 2009. Since their formation, they have gone on to record an EP, LP and two albums, and appeared at venues such as Nozstock, the Atrix theatre and the Stourbridge Folk Festival.
The band initially began as a four-piece outfit, formed out of friendships at Worcester Sixth Form College, and were originally titled Wes Dean and the Scorpions. Deciding that name was too silly, they soon rechristened themselves the far more mature-sounding The Organic Lawn Management.
In the early days, they wiled away their time practising in an old, dilapidated barn that was slowly refurbished around them, recording a number of covers including by the likes of The Kinks and Okkervil River. However, in a manner that couldn't be further from rock 'n' roll, the band went on hold as they undertook their A-levels before reconvening in the summer of 2009 to pen their debut self-released record Capacity for Conversation, as well as the complementary EP, The Summer EP.
The band during their first live gig at The Artrix Theatre in 2012.
Performing at the first of their two gigs during the 2015 Worcester Music Festival.
Satisfied with nearly three months of solid toil in their high-tech barn/recording studio, the four members went their separate ways to universities throughout the country and the band entered a tentative period of inactivity.
Over the following years, the boys returned from university commitments to add to their back catalogue and they began to build up a small following in and around the Midlands. The OLM, as they became affectionately known, penned a further two self-released records in these ensuing years, including Elephants on the Streets of Munich, 1932 and the festive favourite, and long-awaited follow-up, The Winter EP.
However, despite building momentum, 2011 was a quiet year for the band and saw the departure of founding member, Luke, who was erroneously reported to have left the band in order to pursue a solo career under the moniker Guitalele George. (In reality, he was studying in Edinburgh and 600-mile round trip to attend band practice was pushing things a bit.)
Subsequently, The OLM continued as a three-piece and those remaining members arrived at The Wall studios at Glyndŵr University in 2012 to produce and record their first studio album, Folk's Reason for Living. It was released to positive reviews, and was described as "an unabashed overload of homegrown fun and their ode to good times."
They followed up the record with the Tale of Our Own tour, which commenced in 2013 and took them around the Midlands, including an appearance on the popular radio station 102.5 The 'Bridge. The boys went on to play at the prestigious Artrix Theatre in Bromsgrove, the Hereforshire-based festival Nozstock, the Bostin' Christmas Hootenanny and the renowned Stourbridge Folk Festival throughout their first tour.
Since then, the band have redoubled their song-writing efforts as they work towards the release of their second studio album Forty Miles West of Phoenix. A loose concept album, many of the tracks contained on it have been debuted on their subsequent tours around the Midlands and the North West, where they made a much-lauded double appearance at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod.
Adding a few Welsh fans to The OLM's already bulging legions.
