Karlie caught up with Dave McPherson from Inme to talk about the bands latest studio album and much more.

You've just released your new album 'The Pride', how do you think it's been received by fans so far?
I think it's gone well to be honest, it's a tricky one to gauge. But any review I've seen so far has not been a bad bad review, there was one review that slagged off the artwork for half the review, so I'm not going to take that review seriously. There's risky moves we made on the album, and that's fine if they pick up on that. To be honest, if everyone just said 'you're amazing you're amazing' I'd be really worried. It's done well in the major press and the people and I'm pretty happy with it.

How did you find the writing and the recording of the album?
Pretty relaxed really. In the past we've isolated it for 5 or 6 weeks in the studio, which is great, but on the otherhand you're just ticking off boxes each day, whereas this way we'd do 2 songs, then the next month we'd do another 2 songs, we really had time to write and be creative with each other, and continue with our normal lives because we recorded it in a studio close to our home town. We wanted to whole album to be snappy and punchy, and we felt a 10 song album would do that, and leave people wanting more, instead of thinking 'shut up!'

Have you approached the writing of this album differently to that of your previous album Herald Moth from 2009?
It was a bit more collaberative, the previous 2 albums I just wrote it all and the guys wrote their parts, where as this record we pulled the record apart a bit more. Me and Greg are on the same page, we're brothers it's not easy. Simon has always been on the same page as me. I'd write some ideas and demos and we'd all come together and work on it as a band. In the past I would have been like 'no way' with past line ups. No disrespect to anyone, they want to write a certain type of music and I want to write a different type of music. These guys hsare my focus and direction of this album, it worked ut. And we're all friends.

What themes and stories have you covered within 'The Pride'? Is there a message you are trying to convey to your fans?
It's supposed to be a bit more uplifting, but still a bit dark in places, because I don't just want to sing about happiness and joy joy joy, it's about redemption and those sort of concepts, living alone, rather than 'woe is me', rather than letting the world get on top of you it's about overcoming that and being stronger. I think that comes with age! When I was younger I'd say a silly thing and beat myself up about it, but now I'm a lot more of a confident person, if i offend someone, I just think, you can't please everyone! Lyrically, it's more hopefuly, than meloncholy.

What inspires you to write your lyrics?
Life, really. I love word play, I love poetry, I love philosophy, but philosophy that's not obvious, not 'do this and you will be that', little things that make you think. Politics as well, I will never get political with my music, but things that make me think. If you're going to figure yourself out as a person I think it's important to play with discussions and stuff. Lyrically this album is a lot dreamier, a lot more mature, but in places a bit risky. Some lyrics in there people might htink 'what the fuck is he on about? Cats and chameleons?' It's a truthful album to me and hopefully some people will jump on that.

What are your favourite tracks from the album and why?
Reverie Shores we really like, we play that one first. What I like about that song is that I can't pinpoint what it is I like about it, there's something in there, a bunch of different inredients. I like Escape to Mysteriopa because we invented a land, and made a poem about. We developed this idea that when you're asleep, sometimes you can meet people that have died, in real life, and you can meet them, and it's really vivid and nice. Like I meet my grandad when I'm in my dreams sometimes, and he's just as he was. When you wake up, they're gone, they're dead. It's a song about travelling reality and dreams. For me, that's what I wanted to express. I have wierd vivid dreams. It's a strange concept that not everyone will understand. On the flip side I've had dreams about people that are alive and well and they're dead, I wake up and think, 'YES!' [because they're still alive]. Death is an interesting thing, we should be inspired by death. My Grandad passed away and I've taken things from his life, I'm inspired by him I try to act like him.

Your latest album has been released by Pledge Music, what made you go down this route and what special events were offered to you?
And our record label as well. I did it for my solo album, and it was just a total success. On a financial level and on a fan level, people loved it. That was it really, I just thought it would be a good idea. It funds the whole album, rather than me going to our manager, asking if we could have a set amount of money, people buy in advance. People buy in advance, we've made an investment. I want to spend money on decent videos, I don't want to make shit videos anymore. No disrespect to the directors but the budget wasn't there for the videos, so this was a massive success for me and the band. And you do a great thing for charity, fans get stuff they wouldn't normally get. It's really hard work though! You get 2250 people asking when you''re going to send them stuff. I know if I buy something I don't want to be fucked about.

How would you summarise the changes that the band have gone through since the first album Overgrown Eden release in 2003? How do you feel you have progressed as a band?
Very very healthy. Back to basics, back down to earth, a much stronger, family kind of vibe. We don't need to tiptoe around emotions. No disrespect to people in the past but it was hard work, I was probably hard work at the end of the day, we don't need that. We need to be moving on. We're the most critical band in the world of ourselves and we can really be there for each other.

You're just beginning a month long tour of the UK, are there any dates you're looking forward to more than others or any venues/cities you prefer visiting?
Possibly the ones we haven't played yet; Cambridge Junction is a really nice venue. It's always nice when the venue isn't a scumhole. But then again, some of the scumholes are the best shows. London will be stressful. Brighton will be a tough one to beat. Exeter was great. Tonight, in Bristol, it wasn't great, I was off tonight. I can't possibly the play the best show of my life every night. They were a great crowd but the pillars got in the way. Great people here so I'm not badmouthing the venue.

Can we expect to see you at any UK festivals this year? Or any overseas festivals?

Nothing is confirmed so i can't reveal anything so there is no news. We're kind of a cult band so we're not going to be the first confirmed, there's talks of stuff with the main festivals. I don't want to be politically involved because I love the big main festivals all of them but I'd also love to be involved with the smaller festivals but nothing is confirmed. I'd like to do a big one and a small one in the UK at least.

What have you got planned once the tour is over?
Oh I'm going on holiday.

Nice, where are you going?
Portugal. We go there once a year, near the Algarve. We know these people that are a lot wealthier than me, they caught on to us as musicians and they were like, 'you've got to come back' We play whenever they want us to play, and we go 'glam-ping' as they call it. Glamorous camping. From my perspective it was just camping. They really take care of us and I'm never going to be that rich so it's really nice. They like the arts, and we like really expensive crap. We're going to support Lost Alone after across Europe. Got a UK headline later in the year, and then it's Christmas and I'm fucked.

You played 'Natural' and 'Unmasked' from your first album tonight, what made you pick those particular tracks and not others from the album?
We really enjoy playing them. We play 15 songs, and we can only play so many songs. We play 3 songs from the first album, 2 songs from the 2nd album, and try to spread it evenly between the 5 albums and the best of really.

Where would you hope to see yourselves in 5 year's time?
Ascending really, rather than being in the same place. I'm not that bothered, but I want to be able to provide for my family. I might want to have kids one day or something, I can't at this stage in my life, if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen, but I'm not one of these people that rushes. I'd like to personally be able to earn a certain amount of money to provide. It's really hard to make money out of music now but if I wanted to make money I'd have gone into a different business. I want to play to more people, more shows. I will always do the smaller shows even if we got stupidly big.

What would you be doing now if you weren't in the music industry?
I'd be dead.

I've devoted myself to this from a very early age, if I wasn't doing this now I'd be a massive alcoholic, drug addict, gormless man. Certain things are not for me, I'm not employable. I don't like early mornings, this is where I'm at my strongest. This is tough, but it's really fun. Hard + fun = bearable. We're having a blast, the highs outweigh the lows.

Who are your main influences, musically and as individuals?
Old school, Pink Floyd, and Talk Talk, bands like that, but my Dad is a massive influence, my Grandad, as I've already mentioned, music, in general, film is a massive part of my life, I'm a massive film geek. Beer, proper beer. I follow the CAMRA quite religously, which is the Campaign for Real Ale. Life inspires me. Life is short, let's make the most of it, let's have fun. I like comedy. Positivity, but I don't like to sing about it, I like to sing about dark shit. Music is theatrical. If you're that person, you've got problems.

What's your most prized possession?
[Laughs] Well that's a dangerous question. You can't say a person, that would be bad. I could be cheesy. It's my determination. If someone tells me something is a certain way and I don't agree with them, I'll tell them, you're wrong. There's something in me that clicked and made me realise that you have to get on, it's my diplomacy.

One last question we ask every band, if you could be an animal out of a zebra and a giraffe, which would you be and why?
Zebra. They haven't got a fucking awkward neck. I'm used to not having to duck for bridges.

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Is there a message you'd like to leave for your fans reading this?

Thanks! Keep on Rockin'! Keep being awesome and stuff!

Interview by Karlie M