Band of the Day: InMe

We’ve heard of this bunch of noise merchants before…  but you may not have! Definitely worth flinging them our BotD questions.

Simple things first – where are you guys from?

The band was originally formed in Essex around the Brentwood area but nowadays we’re all over the place – myself and Dave are in Brighton, Tom is not far from Gatwick, Greg is still in Essex and John is in Liverpool.

How did you meet?

Well Dave and Greg met by having the same Mum and Dad. I joined around 10 years ago, after becoming friends with the band over the preceding year. Both Tom and John are much newer additions, both long term fans also. I’d been in a band with Tom years back so I knew he’d fit right in. John has been working with the band doing merch over the last few years, and after he filled in on guitar last year when Dave injured his hand, it seemed only right to bring him permanently into the fold.

How long have you been playing as a band?

The embryonic version of InMe was formed in 1996, by Dave and and our long-standing former drummer Simon Taylor. So by that definition, 24 years!

Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?

The band initially had their hearts set on “Binmen” but unfortunately this name was already taken, so I assume the members at the time held a vote to determine which letters should be removed or replaced to form a band name. The decision was probably taken just to remove the B and the N, which left InMe. Or maybe it was a quote from The Fifth Element, where the blue lady alien says “The Stones Are InMe”. Something like that anyway! To be honest I think it was something to do with the music coming from within, in all seriousness!

What are your influences?

To name but a few: Iron Maiden, Kerbdog, Nirvana, Korn, Deftones, Bon Jovi, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Counting Crows, Minus The Bear, Steve Vai, Metallica, Queen, Bjork, Mike Oldfield, Talk Talk, Green Day, Therapy?, Linkin Park, Slipknot. These days though, we draw influences more from each other, rather than other artists.

Describe your music. What makes you unique?

I suppose it’s a melodic but heavy alternative rock sound. We try to be bold in what we do and not pigeon-hole ourselves into staying in one specific style or genre. An album might have some technical riffs, acoustic downbeat songs, big old heavy grooves or electronic/symphonic elements. Probably the main thing that makes us unique is Dave’s voice. He’s got a hell of a range and can go from angelic falsetto through to full on screams, and a very unique tonal character.

Do you have any particular lyrical themes?

Lyrically the band tends to be quite confessional and honest. Sometimes based on personal events, other times more conceptual. Some of the lyrics can be quite poetic in nature too. Also there can be quite a lot of double or hidden meanings.

What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?

We try to keep it pretty rock and roll. We like to be energetic and just have fun on stage, and make a point of engaging with the audience as much as we can. Ideally we want people to come to the gig and have it as a bit of escapism. We take it seriously in terms of rehearsing etc but then we have a laugh on stage – if we make a mistake, we’ll all take the mickey out of ourselves. We also spend a lot of time working out what would make a great set list, both from our own point of view and also that of the fans.

What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?

Well Dave managed to pretty much knock himself out at a gig. Tried to jump off a wall in Manchester once and hit his head on the ceiling! Luckily it was padded or we’d have been in proper trouble. He’s done a few similar things too and hurt his rib, etc. but luckily no complete KOs as of yet!

What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?

John and myself (and Dave) both play Chapman Guitars, Tom has a Mapex kit and uses Sabian cymbals and some Roland/Boss gear for backing tracks, Greg uses Warwick basses. Amp wise, we use exclusively Positive Grid amps (Bias Head, Bias Mini and Bias Bass Mini) . FX wise, I’ve got a Boss GT-1 which I use to jazz up my clean and lead sounds, Greg has a GT-10B and John a GT-10. We all play Cleartone strings.

What, if anything, are you plugging/promoting at the moment?

Our new album Jumpstart Hope is out on 17th January 2020! We’ve been working on this album for some time, and are now in the final stages of the release campaign. Ten really varied tracks, from an orchestral-tinged acoustic ballad to the heavier and more progressive end of our sound. We’re really happy with it and the reaction to the singles leading up to the album has been really positive. We’re straight off another UK tour on the 18th so people can check out our website for the dates.

What are your plans for the rest of 2019?

Well once Jumpstart Hope is out, we’ll be demoing some new tracks, rehearsing and hopefully get booked to play some decent festivals. To get some good slots across the festival circuit would be a great finish to the album campaign, so here’s hoping!

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!

I think it’d be great to support Biffy Clyro. Back in the early days, they did a couple of tours opening up for InMe so it’d be nice to do it the other way around! They’re a great band who have really managed to break the mainstream whilst maintaining their own really unique sound. As for first on, I reckon Vex Red would be a really good fit. Saw them in London last year, they were great, and also their drummer did some of the camera work on the video for “For Something to Happen”. Top band so that’d be a wicked three-band bill!

Pre-order Jumpstart Hope nowgrab it on Amazon and we get a kickback!

InMe: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube | spotify

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