[7] Lenman's jobs included working in a fish and chip restaurant, and at a music instrument & equipment shop.

After recording a number of demos with Pearce and drummer Mark Lawton the trio changed their name from Angel to Reuben, releasing an EP titled Pilot in January 2001, this was followed by a string of singles, which gained airplay on BBC Radio 1, MTV2 as well as press attention from Kerrang!

I think just because we got a lot more popular very quickly – which isn't to say we suddenly reached Bon Jovi status, but lots more people tuned in – that meant the scrutiny was a lot higher and people would come to shows with such high expectations" After releasing In Nothing We Trust in 2007 the band were becoming increasingly strained financially, with the groups savings running out, which Lenman found particularly difficult, "everyone that worked with us ended up doing things for mates rates or on a promise, it didn't feel very good to always be asking favours", Lenman felt as if he was not able to give enough back in order to compensate and pay people for helping him and the band.

[15] In June 2008, the band went on an indefinite hiatus, Lenman had "burnt out" and had no desire to make or perform music in any capacity.

[16] Since the band's split, Reuben have released a compilation of b-sides, unreleased and rare studio and live material titled We Should Have Gone to University in 2009, and a tenth anniversary edition of their debut album Racecar is Racecar Backwards in 2014, featuring more previous unheard and unreleased demos and live sessions.

Initially, Lenman found that he was writing and recording material that sounded like his previous band Reuben, and became interested in making a more pronounced leap in musical style.

Lenman's wife Lena also accompanied him on the tour, singing on the tracks "Little Lives" and "If You Have To Ask You'll Never Know", whilst an extended choir would join the band for the performance of "A Day In The Life".

The tracks received airplay on BBC Radio 1, XFM, Scuzz, Kerrang amongst other media outlets.

[25] Lenman's final show of 2014 was a Christmas special at the West End Centre in Aldershot on 21 December, which included his Reuben bandmate Guy performing drums on their track "Moving to Blackwater".

[18] In a 2016 interview, Lenman once again discussed releasing new music and expressed his interest in working with a label and producer in the hope of being able to reach a broader audience.

[27] In a number of following interviews, Lenman revealed that he had been working for some time with his close personal friend, music producer Paul Frazer Space on new material.

[33] On 11 November 2018, Lenman headlined his own 'Lenmania' festival, accompanied by acts including Employed To Serve, Palm Reader and Hannah Lou Clark.

The album would be made up of covers, with Lenman influenced by the "technical deconstructions" from the likes of Biffy Clyro and Arcane Roots, Shuffle would see him cover songs by The Beatles, the theme song from Popeye, Bernard Herrmann's theme for the 1976 film Taxi Driver and more.

[39][40] Lenman laid out that it had long been a career goal of his to put out a covers record and that he had in fact wanted to originally do it after the release of Muscle Memory.

Discussing his song and style choices for the record, Lenman described the piece as an attempt "to redefine the concept of a covers album – not just lazy sound-alikes of '80s classics, not just ironic metal versions of pop tunes".

[39] On 9 April 2019, Dan Kavanagh announced that after ten years of working with Lenman, he would be stepping down as his drummer, but affirmed that he hoped the two would make music again one day.

[41] In June, Lenman performed in Belfast and Dublin, with his former Reuben bandmate Guy Davis on drums.

On 21 February 2024, Lenman announced his retirement from the music industry, stating no further plans to tour or make any more records.

[47] After damaging his original all-white RGX, he purchased a RGX121S with double hum buckers for £90, although he "couldn't afford it", thus had to convince his Reuben bandmates that it was a band-expense.

Recording and performing Muscle Memory Lenman purchased a banjitar and also used a banjulele that belonged to his Great Uncle Arthur.

[7] Lenman has rarely used effects pedals, mainly relying simply on the overdrive setting on his amplifiers.

[47] Since Lenman began performing as a two-piece, he has further modified one of his Yamaha RGX's to include a passive pickup, which is linked to Electro-Harmonix POG which takes his guitar down an octave.

[49] Other illustration work from Lenman includes "Megabot" for The Spill Magazine, content for the Wellcome Trust's In The Zone website, Directgov Kids, EDF Energy's The Pod website, the artwork for Providence an album by Caretaker and various children's books published by A & C Black including "Hard Nuts of History" series by Tracey Turner, "A Dinner Of Smells" by Humaira Rashid and "Big Shot" by Sean Callery.

[54] Lenman and Turner performed "Good Luck" by Reuben at Xtra Mile's Christmas 2013 Party, with the recording going out on XFM.