The band formed in 2001 by two longtime friends, Hajime Takei and Kay Naoe, who began playing shows with hired drums and bass players in the Tokyo area in 2002.
They self-released a 2003 demo EP, and signed to Howling Bull Entertainment/Handicraft Recordings, who released their debut LP, On my way back home.
[1] A follow-up LP, Kiss&Kill, which was produced by Pelle Gunnerfeldt, followed in 2005.
[1] In the interim, the band toured nationally in Japan and supported many Western acts on the Japan legs of their tours, including Jimmy Eat World, All-American Rejects, The Stills, and Copeland.
[2] Since 2004, bassist Takeshi Horikoshi (henrytennis, former bungee jump festival) and drummer Masashi “Marcy” Shimada (buddhistson, kamomekamome) have recorded and toured with OCEANLANE and have become more or less permanent members of the band.