Talented Sheffield United man takes unusual career step ahead of Derby County clash
“There was a common thread, and that was the path from adversity to positivity. A bit like football itself, I guess.”
By day he fulfils a vital but often unsung role behind the scenes at Sheffield United, looking to eke out any possible marginal gain in his role as a sports scientist. By night, Lee McMahon uses instruments of a very different kind and is gearing up for the launch of his latest EP this week.
A gifted musician who has played at some of the region’s most iconic venues, McMahon’s latest release was inspired by former Blades midfielder Ben Osborn’s bar in Derby. The Lonely Boy Bar (Part 1) will be released this Friday, with a launch gig that evening at Rotherham’s Chantry Brewery Tap Bar. A former member of popular local band The Tivoli, McMahon has since launched a solo career and his latest record is based around fictional characters in the bar Osborn co-owns. Fittingly Osborn will return to Bramall Lane this weekend with Derby County after leaving Bramall Lane earlier this summer.
“I love my job in football, but I’m also extremely passionate about my music,” said McMahon, who launched his solo career under the name LPMC. “And so when Ozzy told me what he was doing with the bar, I told him that I’d write something to help celebrate its opening. I came up with a song about a guy who did whatever he could to support his family but had just been made redundant and was staring into a middle-aged abyss.
“He was worrying about the future but proud that he knew he’d done everything he could to make sure they were looked after. The tagline for that one was: ‘This is the place you’ll always be loved when life gets tough’ and Ben and his business partner liked it so much they had a neon sign, with those words on them, put up behind the bar itself. Things just went from there and I created more and more songs about people in my imagination.”
Three songs from the EP - Mary, Lonely Boy and Joe - have already been released as singles and the final instalment of part one is Murphy, released on Friday. Part two of the EP is due to be released next year.
“The songs were all different, on different pathways, but there was a common thread going through them,” McMahon, who has been involved with music for over a quarter of a century, told SportsBoom, “and that was the path from adversity to positivity. A bit like football itself, I guess. I think it's a really good concept, and I’m really proud of the songs too. So, I’m putting them out there now for people to listen to and hopefully gain some exposure.”