Unsigned Birmingham band Odmansbox plot next EP release

But we are sure Ziggy Stardust himself would be delighted his creations would someday spawn an art-rock trio with grand designs of their own.

Frontman and guitarist Andrew Souter thinks it was his insistence that 1976 release Station To Station was Bowie's best that lit the fuse for Odmansbox to form. But the 31-year-old guitarist and vocalist from Wolverhampton is sure of one thing - they have a big year of 'writing, gigging and recording' on the horizon.

Souter met 25-year-old synth and keyboards maestro Piera Onacko, from St Albans, at said party. He's not sure where he met Devizes-born drummer Nathan England-Jones, age 27, but he does remember 'he had a nice jumper on'.

The trio are the core of Odmansbox. And as Souter explains: "Odmansbox is a word I made up in desperation when we couldn’t agree on a name. It’s adapted from a phrase I came across about 15 years ago, but I’d rather let people figure it out for themselves."

They've had a pretty busy 2018, recording and releasing their debut EP I've Got Nothing in July. With their influences listed as the likes of Prefab Sprout, Nick Cave, The Cure and, of course, Bowie - it should appeal to fans of the dark and brooding side of synths.

"We recorded it at Rain Studios [Highbury Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham] with Luke Morrish-Thomas, who’s worked with loads of local bands," Souter continues. "The EP was built on live studio takes, but we all saw it as a studio project rather than a facsimile of our live show, which meant adding new elements like trumpet and backing vocals.

"The title track I’ve Got Nothing was picked up by Brum Radio, BBC Introducing and Analogue Trash."

And it's not just here where they have been making waves either, as he adds slightly tongue-in-cheek: "We also had the unusual pleasure of being played on a South African radio station and are looking forward to selling out Cape Town Stadium."

That venue, built for the 2010 Fifa World Cup hosted by the country, has a capacity of 55,000 seats. Plus there would be the thousands packed onto the pitch screaming the lyrics back at Odmansbox. So it may be a little way off, but the band are allowed to dream big. It's their adventure.

For now, they have been making do with conquering venues a little closer to home. Back to July, and the four-track EP I've Got Nothing was launched in the band's designated hometown of Birmingham at events space The Edge, found on Cheapside in Digbeth. And that was a night Souter will be remembering for a while.

"It was great fun," he said. "We augmented the line-up with two sax players, two backing vocalists and a percussionist. The Edge were lovely, encouraging hosts, and we were supported by our favourite local band The Nature Centre."

And with a flirtatious tease of future releases, Souter adds: "We’re currently sitting on a recording of the gig which might furnish us with bonus material one day."

Since then, things have been hotting up for the three-piece. Local promoters have been adding them to bills across the city, and they've been lucky enough to grace the stage of one of Birmingham's finest venues, nestled nicely on the High Street of Kings Heath, as a regular support act.

"We’ve been gigging pretty regularly and had a couple of great slots supporting touring acts at the Hare & Hounds in Birmingham," he continues. "The gigs seem to be well received and no-one knows who to compare us to, which I take as a high compliment.

"We've always tried to avoid playing for the less scrupulous promoters in Birmingham, which has led us to put on gigs of our own in slightly odd places including The Edge and a warehouse unit. One of the best things about doing DIY gigs is that you get to curate the evening and book acts you think will complement each other.

"I couldn't choose a favourite gig but a memorable one for me was supporting Art School Girlfriend at the Hare & Hounds in November. The crowd was lovely, the sound was amazing, and we did quite a concise, high energy set which seemed to go down well."

And, as touched upon previously, they are already putting their plans in place to grow the Odmansbox brand in 2019.

Not resting on their debut release laurels, they are plotting an as-yet-untitled follow-up to I've Got Nothing. Having this year played at Zero Degrees Festival in Lincolnshire, they had the opportunity to return to the county to try something new when getting their next recordings done.

"We had a fantastic opportunity to record at The Sweet Factory!, a studio run by Dave Formula, who used to play with Magazine," Souter says. "He really got what we are trying to do as a band and we’re all excited by the results.

"There's nothing fixed yet in terms of a release date as we want to make sure it gets as big a push as possible. Like lots of bands nowadays we’re doing everything ourselves, so we need to make sure there’s a buzz around the release.

"We're also really looking forward to supporting a Chicago band called Ohmme in February and have been enjoying their album Parts in anticipation. I'd like to do a homecoming gig in Wolverhampton at some point as I've only ever played there solo."

And to allay the fears of any fans thinking they might be waiting until the cows come home to hear that EP, Souter was adamant that wouldn't be the case.

"It won’t be long!" he promises. And their public await with baited breath.

Odmansbox can be found on Twitter and Facebook, both @odmansbox, while their EP I've Got Nothing can be heard on Spotify. They are playing tonight as part of the free-to-enter DIE DAS DER event Yr Merry Welcome at The Flapper in Birmingham alongside The Courtesy Group, Exotic Pets, Modern Literature and Wax Futures.