Inglorious are a band pushing the boundaries of modern rock. They are imbued with the spirit of Led Zeppelin and hard rock, with a charismatic frontman and an awesome band to match. PG caught up with the lads at Ramblin' Man.
Inglorious are: Nathan James (lead vocals) Andreas Eriksson (lead guitar) Wil Taylor (rhythm guitar) Colin Parkinson (bass guitar) Phil Beaver (drums)
PHOTOGROUPIE: (PG) HOW DID YOU ALL MEET?
COLIN: (C) To cut a long story short. Nathan held auditions for a project he was working on in Manchester, we did that for a while but it didn't work out. Then it morphed into Inglorious and we wrote a whole new set of material.
ANDREAS: (A) Then I came along from Sweden!
WIL: (W) Yeah Andreas came on-board a few weeks before we recorded the album, went back to Sweden and had to learn the songs in a couple of days, then come back to the UK and record the album live.
PG: HOW DID THE BAND GET ITS NAME?
NATHAN: (N) I thought it looked good on a T-shirt. The film Inglorious Bastards was also an influence. It just rolls off the tongue.
PG: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PERFORM LIVE?
N: My favourite today was Holy Water because the audience sang it with us, they were clapping along. It was mental.
W: Yeah Holy Water for me.
PHIL: (P) Same I love Holy Water, but I also like Till I Die, it's a good opener.
A: I was going to say Holy Water too, but Breakaway is good. I love the way it gets faster.
C: Today I choose Unaware because Andreas played his ass off.
PG: NATHAN YOU WANTED TO KEEP THE BAND'S SOUND AS RAW AS POSSIBLE WITH MINIMAL OVERDUBS ETC. WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?
N: Because it's real. It's very easy to make an album that sounds great, but you can't replicate live. I didn't want to disappoint people when they came to see us. I wanted people to enjoy the album and on that basis come and see us live and be just as happy because we were just as good. And it was fun, quick and cheap; we did it in about 4 days, it was great. It's a real rock album.
PG: HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOU HAD THE ABILITY TO PERFORM THESE GREAT ROCK VOCALS?
N: A tragic wedgie accident. (jokes) no, it wasn't. My head teacher when I was at primary school said 'you've got such a strong voice.' He gave me a solo in a show and I joined the choir. I sang in the choir for a long time. After my voice broke it stayed the same, it stayed just as high, so I was lucky.
PG: DID YOU HAVE VOCAL TRAINING TO HELP DEVELOP THAT SOUND?
N: Yes lots. I've had singing lessons for about 15 years. It's the only thing I've ever done, I've never had to do anything but sing. I've done working men's clubs, I've sung on cruise ships.
PG: HOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU, WHEN DID YOU START?
W: I think we're all similar to Nathan.
N: (Jokes) You weren't a fucking choirboy!
W: No, but we all did those terrible, small, sweaty gigs for like two people and they get bigger and bigger. I started playing the guitar when I was 12.
P: I started when I was 8 just sat on the sofa with a couple of garden canes just playing along to Beatles songs.
N: Then Phil and Colin were signed when you were how old?
P: 12.
N: 12 and 16 they were signed to Mick Fleetwood's record label.
A: I started playing guitar at 13. I basically stole my Mum's acoustic and that was it.
C: I was 14. My Dad was decorating a room, pulled out a unit and his bass was tucked behind it. I just picked it up and started playing it. I fell in love. I'm the fifth generation of bass players. My Dad played, his Dad, his Dad...
PG: THERE APPEARS TO BE A HEREDITARY ELEMENT TO MUSICAL TALENT DOESN'T THERE?
N: Yeah, and practice. It takes a long time.
PG: HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THAT STAMINA IN YOUR VOICE:
N: I've been singing professionally for 15 years so it's kind of just there now. I try not to party too hard when I'm on tour.
P: You're very good at that. Lots of willpower.
N: I tend not to drink when I've got a gig the next day, I speak quietly and shout less – which
is quite important because I like to shout at people. Just look after yourself. Keep hydrated, get lots of sleep, if you want to go crazy, do it on a day off.
PG: YOUR ALBUM HAS LOTS OF DIFFERENT STYLES, SO WHO ARE YOUR INFLUENCES OUTSIDE OF ROCK?
N: I have lots of strange influences.
P: I love The Beatles.
W: Lionel Richie.
A: Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler, he's a killer. Using the fingers and no pick, that's a big thing for me.
C: I grew up with Motown and soul, my Mum played it all the time. 70s soul funk, Sly and The Family Stone, Graham Central Station, all that.
N: And they recorded all that in a similar way to us. The Motown records were all in the room recording together, same as classical music, that's what we're trying to do.
PG: NATHAN IT WAS YOUR FIRST TIME WRITING LYRICS, WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION?
N: I got it from people in my life, friends, enemies, just people that I like to tell stories about. There are a couple of tracks that are quite personal. I'm trying to do the same with the second album which we're in the middle of writing at the moment.
PG: THERE'S A BIG LED ZEPPELIN VIBE RUNNING THROUGH YOUR MUSIC. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE LED ZEP TRACK?
N: Stairway To Heaven. I know it's so cheesy, but after hearing the Anne Wilson version I was blown away. I've watched that video 100 times and I've cried every time. It's the best bit of singing and songwriting I've ever heard.
The rest of the band: Black Dog, definitely!
PG: YOU DO A MEAN COVER OF I SURRENDER. ARE THERE ANY OTHER SONGS YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A STAB AT?
N: Something contemporary.
P: Something unexpected that's come out a few weeks before.
N: Yeah something by Sia or Lady Gaga.
C: I'd like to give Khashoggi's Ship a stab, it's an amazing song.
N: It's a cracker.
W: I don't know it. It sounds like a disease.
N: Do you not know that song? It's an absolute belter.
PG: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE ROCK IS DEAD?
N: It's not.
P: You're under a rock.
W: It's definitely not.
N: Come to Ramblin' Man and you'll see that it's not. There are so many young new bands. It's definitely not dead, it's a rumour made up by old rich rock stars to sell tickets for their tours.