Episode 20 – Andy McCluskey / OMD

We are back, Back, BACK! A new season of the podcast is finally here, after an extended hiatus caused by a combination of grim things, too dispiriting to elaborate upon here.

In this episode, I speak with Andy McCluskey, lead vocalist of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, or OMD, as they are more commonly known. Andy formed OMD with co-writer and occasional co-vocalist, Paul Humphreys, at the tail-end of the 1970s. Their self-titled debut album (and its follow-up) was released in 1980 at the dawn of electronic pop, just as synthesised sounds were easing their way into the mainstream – and this is where our story begins.

We begin by looking back at Andy’s interests in art and design that saw him creating the first posters for OMD (see below), his ongoing creative relationship with legendary sleeve designer, Peter Saville, and follow the story right up to today with the brand new album, Bauhaus Staircase, released the same day as this podcast – Friday 27 October 2023.

The new album references the Bauhaus art movement in its title, and its sleeve design is naturally complementary, but it is not the first OMD album with connections to art and design. So, join Andy and myself as we connect the dots, and along the way reveal that during this journey of more than four decades, OMD may actually have sailed those seven seas and finally come full circle…

If you liked this episode, you may also enjoy the conversation I had with John Petch about his design work for OMD’s 13th album ‘The Punishment of Luxury’. Check out episode 6 of Art on your sleeve.

Stay up to date with all things OMD online:
Website: omd.uk.com
Instagram: @omdhq
Facebook: omdofficial
X/Twitter: @OfficialOMD
YouTube: @OMDOfficial

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