Backstory:
Outstanding Manager was formed in the heart of Seattle in 2014, beginning as a musical experiment between long-time friends, Martin “Marty” Gibbs, a disgruntled office worker with a flair for bass guitar, and Graham “Grammy” Nelson, an underpaid retail manager who could shred a mean guitar solo. They created music as a form of catharsis, a creative outlet to express their shared dissatisfaction with corporate life. As their sound began to develop, they brought in two more members: Felicia “Feli” Howard, a stressed-out financial consultant with a knack for drumming, and Aaron “Ari” Mathers, a smooth-voiced receptionist who could harmonize with a fence post.

Their music quickly resonated with other disenchanted professionals, creating an unexpected following of fans who related to their honest, raw, and sometimes tongue-in-cheek lyrics about the corporate grind. Eventually, they decided to quit their jobs and commit themselves fully to their passion, becoming one of the unlikely success stories of the indie music scene.

Genre:
Indie Rock / Alternative

Title:
“Breakroom Ballad”

Full Song Lyrics:
(Verse 1)
[Am] Clock in at nine, [D] coffee’s not fine, [G] boss on cloud nine, [C] got no time.
[Am] Papers to file, [D] fake a smile, [G] stuck in this mile, [C] for a while.

(Chorus)
[E] We’re just Outstanding Managers, [A] trying to keep our sanity,
[F#m] Living life on ledgers, [B] lost in workday vanity.
[E] We play our Breakroom Ballad, [A] sing it loud for all to hear,
[F#m] Liberation’s anthem, [B] in the face of corporate fear.

(Verse 2)
[Am] Breakroom lunch, [D] crunching numbers crunch, [G] feel the punch, [C] in a bunch.
[Am] Dreaming of chords, [D] in meeting boards, [G] as life affords, [C] untold rewards.

(Chorus)
[E] We’re just Outstanding Managers, [A] trying to escape from reality,
[F#m] Trading ties for amplifiers, [B] finding our own clarity.
[E] We play our Breakroom Ballad, [A] music is our therapy,
[F#m] Shattering the silence, [B] in the heart of corporate apathy.

Fan Testimonial:

Name: Jennifer “Jen” Stevens

Why and How Outstanding Manager is her favorite:

“I’ve been a fan of Outstanding Manager since their first jam session in a basement. Their music is a breath of fresh air in a world where everything feels so pre-packaged and artificial. It’s like they’ve taken the mundanity of everyday life and turned it into something beautiful and rebellious. As a project manager myself, I can relate to their lyrics on a deeply personal level. They’ve become my soundtrack on the way to work, a daily reminder that there’s more to life than just deadlines and deliverables.”