I should have asked if it’s “Skem” or “Skelm”… Anyway, here are DOEM!
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
The sunny town of Skelmersdale.
How did you meet?
We all first met a Wigan & Leigh College studying music then after we finished college we started a post-grunge band called Invane which then fell apart about two years ago due to the singer having other commitments, so we formed this band because we loved playing together and we didn’t want to continue as Invane without the singer.
How long have you been playing as a band?
About two years.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
We make music that doesn’t have a vocalist so our music is very much up to the listener on how it’s interpreted. We want a name which we when read, it was up the person how it’s pronounced.
What are your influences?
We all like very different types of music and when it came to writing this project we came from very different angles in terms of songwriting so we made a Spotify playlist, which is on our profile, curated by all three of us on where we got some of the ideas from.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
We create a unique blend of doom metal, post-rock, ambient and post-metal in a 40-minute song split into two sections
Do you have any particular themes?
Nothing that’s premeditated. A lot of our ideas come from jamming, so any themes are very subconscious.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
Very loud (laughs). The goal of every gig is to surround people with music and create an atmosphere. We’ve been playing live for around two years and we really wanted to make our live performance the best way to listen to our music.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
We have a lot of pedals and intricate sections so at live shows we don’t go wild but I (James) went to see Daughters earlier this year in Manchester and it was the craziest show I have ever been to. The singer (Alexis Marshall) was smashing his mic, crowd surfing, self-mutilating, the whole gig was wild.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
James uses a Sonor Jazz Fusion kit, Gretsch Walnut Maple Inlay Snare 14″ x 6.5″ with 14” Zildjian K/Z Hi-Hats, 18” K Custom Dark Crash, 21” Sabian HH Raw Bell Dry Ride
Kris uses a G&L ASAT Special with HH VS Musician/Laney LV300 & Marshall DBS 7215
Dave uses Fender Jaguar Bass with Warwick Pro Fet 3.2 & Ampeg SVT-810E
What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?
Our new project that we released a few months ago called The Fly & The Nail. It’s one long song split into two parts and it was all recorded live in one massive take
We’re nearly through the year now, what are your plans for 2020?
Lots of gigs to promote the album/EP and were already underway writing the next project
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
Opening, we would definitely go with our mates Mairu who have helped us a lot in the past and we have gigged with numerous time and the headline would have to be Russian Circles there the one band that every time they come to the UK we instantly get tickets for, incredible band.
From previous Band of the Day, N.E.S.H.: At a local level, what do you think can be done to help the music industry and bands of the future?
Communities and healthy competition. People need to support their local scene and their fellow musicians, inspire people to get in the practice room with other musicians and let them express themselves in whatever way they want, don’t gatekeep. Also, bands need to stop comparing music and audience sizes in such a toxic way where you divide the scene, the bands you don’t like should be your biggest influence to get back in the practise room and to push your music and the promotion of your music
From previous Band of the Day, Fall Flavored: What would you do with an eleventh finger?
If we get the extra finger on the left hand, become a competitive Street Fighter player.
