InMe have just come off a huge UK tour celebrating the release of the first instalment of their new triple album Trilogy. Trilogy: Dawn is a huge melodic rock album that has received critical acclaim and has gone down particularly well with the band’s die-hard fanbase. We caught up with the band just before their recent show in the Rock City Basement.
The new album is part of a triple album – where did that idea come from? What’s the concept behind that?
Dave McPherson: Well, we hadn’t actually finished recording The Pride [InMe’s fifth album] yet, so the idea came up in September 2011. I always plan way too far ahead. I just wanted to do something different other than an album. So we came up with doing the triple album, it’s like four years ago now so I can’t even remember why but I just wanted to do something conceptual, to make more of a whole piece as opposed to a selection of songs. I wanted it to be really simple so immediately I liked the idea of it being called Trilogy rather than calling it something crazy. Birth, Life and Death sort of came to me and the idea of different musical themes came and it’s only loosely themed, so from there on I could have fun with it basically. The guys liked the idea, the record label at the time didn’t but we aren’t with them anymore now so we’re free to do it. It’s nice to finally have a third of it done, [we’re] really proud of it and now we can move forward with confidence to the next two.
As soon as you get four songs demoed it all starts coming together because you want to finish it and listen to it as a whole.
You mentioned that the idea came when you guys were writing The Pride. Have all of these songs been in that process for four years?
DM: Not at all actually. That one was written and then I didn’t do anything more for at least a year and a half, I was mostly writing the metal one. Writing heavy riffs but not really coming out with any songs. Then we realised I was slacking with it, so we did The Destinations EP.
Gary Marlow: Just to give something for people to be getting on with, because if we went with our original idea of releasing all three then fans would still be waiting another year and a half and they wouldn’t have had an album for nearly four years.
DM: Then in August/September last year I started more intently writing. As soon as you get four songs demoed it all starts coming together because you want to finish it and listen to it as a whole. I just said to the guys: “we’re going into the studio on 6th January”, to force us. Now that we’ve done that we’ve got time. Usually bands release an album every two of three years whereas we’re going to still try and do the second one later this year which gives us time to make sure it’s perfect and no-one has to rush.
Building on that, have you got any of the songs for the next two records written at all?
DM: I’ve demoed, all sorts of ideas. Sometimes I get carried away with writing everything, so the idea is for me to leave a lot of space for the guys to come in. Gazz likes to write solos so I’ll leave a section untouched for him.
GM: It’s just different parts. We’re both completely different players, if I end up playing parts that Dave has written and they aren’t necessarily written for the way I play, you sort of miss a trick if you’ve got all these different musicians and they don’t necessarily write. It’s not a pride thing, for example on ‘Reverie Shores’, Dave wrote the song and I didn’t change a note, because there was just no need – but sometimes we’ll disagree or vice versa. Dave creates the blueprint and we sort of add what we can to it.
DM: Sometimes I will go, I’ve got to put a lead down because it’s in my head.
GM: When it’s centrally thematic to the song, you can’t change that but often it’s like little background lead parts where I’ll use a bit more freedom, and in the solo I sort of do whatever I want.
DM: Like on the first song on Trilogy: Dawn I already demoed the lead part in the verses, so we did a trade-off where I did the first verse and Gazz does his cool funky bit in the second verse. That keeps things interesting in the song anyway. I demoed one song in its entirety for the next one, but I haven’t put vocals on it yet.
GM: *Doing his best impression of Dave* “I’ve demoed it, in its entirety without the vocals, a couple of guitars to put on, then the drums”.
On ‘Reverie Shores’, Dave wrote the song and I didn’t change a note, because there was just no need – but sometimes we’ll disagree or vice versa.
Just one final question, What are your favourite songs to play live?
DM: With this tour, for me ‘Reverie: Aquarium’.
GM: Yeah, I’m quite liking that one.
DM: And the one off the new album that’s gone down the best with the fans is ‘Rapture’.
GM: I’m probably having the most fun playing ‘Hymn’ because I get to stomp my feet quite a lot while I’m playing it.
DM: My favourite changes every night anyway, but for me it’s got to be ‘Reverie: Aquarium’.
InMe’s new album ‘Trilogy: Dawn’ is available on iTunes and Bandcamp now.
Liam Fleming
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