Ahead of Serpent & Spirit hitting stores worldwide, Joe Nally of Urne stops by Inside Music to discuss his creative process.
When the world shut down, Urne got to work. One of the most exciting bands to emerge from England in recent years, the group was nearly finished with their long-awaited new album when the pandemic changed everything. Facing a lack of touring and an inability to connect in a studio, the band began piecing together the final elements of their record via Skype. It was a new and challenging experience for the trio, but it ultimately proved beneficial. The change of pace allowed for greater consideration and fine-tuning, ensuring that what comes next is precisely what Urne envisioned from the start.
Serpent & Spirit (out June 25) is a compendium of struggles and grounded optimism. It’s a sprawling and aggressive collection of music that channels the frustrations of life into something altogether striking, which co-founder Joe Nally discusses at length during the latest episode of Inside Music.
“I had a bit of a bad patch for a few months,” explains Nally, revealing the inspiration for the album’s lyrics. “I’m absolutely fine now, but I drew on those two months where I just wasn’t feeling great. I took that and wrote a story based about that. The actual track listing is done like that film Memento, where it’s all in a different order. Maybe one day someone will listen to the lyrics and work out which order the story goes in.”
He continues, “The album is called Serpent & Spirit. The spirit is the human experience and the serpent is the evil that tricks your mind. It’s about getting pulled apart and trying to find yourself within all of that. So it’s almost good and evil, and throughout the album it’s about a person getting pulled from the light to the dark.”
Nally’s conversation with Inside Music host James Shotwell covers the album creation process and the life of the band. He shares how a diverse set of influences inspire the group’s unique approach to rock and speaks to the power of big ideas in songs. He also recommends a few up-and-coming acts you won’t want to miss. Check it out:
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From ferocious new records by Atreyu and Red Fang to the early demos of Decapitated, there is something for everyone among this week’s new music releases.
The world is changing. After a year of forced isolation, artists and fans are finally starting to reconnect. Dozens of great albums are hitting shelves every week, and we know that nobody has time for everything. We want to help you find the can’t miss albums and keep you up-to-date on the records everyone will be talking about next week. We realize that documenting every new release would be virtually impossible, but here you will find several new albums from Haulix clients that we feel deserve your time and support. Check it out:
Baptize marks the beginning of a new chapter for Atreyu. After two decades and numerous albums, the band is moving forward without longtime vocalist Alex Varkatzas. The resulting record is a hard rock juggernaut combining the heaviness that fans have come to expect from the group with a lyrical blend of optimistic melancholy. The men of Atreyu are no longer the angry young men who brought metalcore to the masses, and that’s a good thing. Nobody wants to hear grown men complain about childish struggles. If they do, then there is plenty of that to be found in music today. Instead, these lifelong road warriors who have witnessed the unbelievable heights and unfathomable lows of the music industry firsthand are speaking to the present. It’s about what is happening right now and how they’re handling it, both for better and worse. Baptize is a metal album for adults that tackles grown-up situations with maturity and ferocity unmatched in the genre. It may be the start of a new era, but the heart remains the same.
Rise Against – Nowhere Generation (BMG)
The world needs Rise Against. In a time of significant geopolitical turmoil where everything seems upside down and nobody can make progress without the risk of death or poverty, bands such as Rise Against are surprisingly hard to find. The group’s message about perseverance in the face of heartache and economic struggle has kept heavy hearts alive throughout the new millennium. Nowhere Generation is more of the same in the best possible way. The band may be writing about the same topics they’ve covered for years, but it feels like the world is starting to pay attention for once. There is an urgency to the music that hasn’t been present since the band’s early work, and it’s likely to inspire countless listeners to become more active in their communities. If you need a soundtrack to rebellion, look no further than this record. It will not disappoint.
Decapitated – The First Damned (Nuclear Blast)
It takes a lot for a re-issue to appear in this feature. Countless artists release music every week, so we rarely find a good reason to add an album that many have already heard. Decapitated is a rare exception. The First Damned, initially released in 2000, collects the band’s earliest material. The demos feature a glimpse at the origins of the world’s most influential metal bands. Despite the poor recording quality and less evolved skillset, the band’s ability to take their genre by storm is apparent on every second of this collection. It is hard to imagine anyone hearing this material and believing the group would become anything less than world-renowned sensations. The First Damned is absolutely riveting and should be considered essential listening for any fan of heavy music.
latewaves – Hell To Pay (Know Hope)
Do you know that frustrating feeling that pulses through your tired bones at the end of a long workday when nothing has gone as planned? As your head begins to ache, considering things that you still need to do, you reach for a snack or smoke or drink that will alleviate your worries, if only for a moment. As you bring your chosen vice to your lips, your body begins to flood with serotonin, and that sensation is the best way to describe what it’s like hearing latewaves’ debut album. Hell To Pay is a collection of blue-collar rock tracks that transforms all the rage and sadness flowing through the veins of countless humans walking the planet today into catchy, relatable music. It’s the kind of album you put on to feel less alone because it reminds you that we’re all in this together, even if it doesn’t seem like it. We are all doing whatever we can in hopes of waking to a better tomorrow, and when that day doesn’t come, we keep on keeping on. Most of us are doing everything we can to hold ourselves together, and this record captures that struggle as few albums can.
Red Fang has been waiting for this moment. After shelving the release of their new album in 2020 due to the pandemic, the band is finally ready to share their best record to date with the world. Arrows is a sprawling and complex rock record that keeps listeners on their toes. From the unassuming introduction (“Take It Back”) to the blues-influenced “Funeral Coach,” everything about this record embodies Red Fang’s knack for finding groove-heavy goodness amid the calamity of hard rock. You will want to drink, fight, and drive as fast as your car will go a while this record unfolds. It’s the ultimate soundtrack for living recklessly, and while we do not encourage such behavior, we won’t blame you if Arrows makes you act a little crazy.
New Music Friday recommendations feature a collection of new releases from Haulix clients chosen by the company staff. Join Haulix today and gain immediate access to the industry’s leading digital promotional distribution platform: http://haulix.com/signup.
Riding high on the success of his band’s debut album, Dead Poet Society’s Jack Underkofler talks all things promotion on Inside Music.
The music industry at large is trying incredibly hard to ignore the reality of the present day. The world is changing faster than ever, and the methods of promotion that worked as recently as early 2020 are no longer reliable. We live in a new world that demands creative thinking that, frankly, many seem too afraid or too insecure to attempt.
But the fact remains that people still want new music, and many are hoping to discover the next song or artist that can change their lives. The musicians and labels willing to try anything to reach those curious listeners are in a position for massive success, and Dead Poet Society is doing everything they can to seize the moment.
-!-, Dead Poet Society’s Spinefarm Records debut album, hit stores in February 2021. The alt-rock release serves as the culmination of nearly a decade spent writing, recording, touring, and grinding as hard as anyone can to make the band’s name known. Its existence is a testament to what happens when people fully commit to their craft, and it’s quickly turning heads throughout the rock community while other acts sit on the industry sidelines.
In this episode of Inside Music, Dead Poet Society member Jack Underkofler chats with James Shotwell about the journey behind -!-. He recounts how a fan in Mexico gave the band an international stage and how a move from Boston to Los Angeles put the group in a position to reach mainstream success. Jack also shares what he’s learned about promoting music in a post-COVID world. Check it out:
Riding high on a wave of critical and fan acclaim, VRSTY’s Joey Varela stops by Inside Music to discuss his debut EP for Spinefarm Records.
The rockstars of tomorrow don’t need bands to be successful. They need band members to tour, of course, but there is a new breed of musicians creating elaborate records entirely on their own. These swiss army knife artists carve a relationship with followers that allow fans to experience the full extent of their talents. It’s a type of career made possible in large part by the internet, and Joey Varela is one of the artists leading the way.
Joey Varela is the mastermind behind VRSTY, a genre-bending rock project that recently released its debut EP, Cloud City, through Spinefarm Records. He uses his time on Inside Music to discuss songwriting, finding bandmates and maintaining creative momentum amid a global pandemic. It’s a must-hear conversation for DIY artists everywhere, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you today.
Inside Music is brought to you by Haulix.com, the music industry’s leading promotional distribution platform. Join thousands of musicians, including Slipknot, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, I Prevail, and more, in promoting your new music with the world’s most trusted service. Learn more and started your free, 30-day trial by visiting http://haulix.com/signup today!
Inside Music is a podcast about the lives of professionals in the music business. Each week, host James Shotwell chats with an artist or industry tastemaker to learn how anyone can navigate the world of entertainment.
On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell is chatting with Schuylar Croom, vocalist and founding member for the band He Is Legend. Schuylar and his band are perhaps best known for their 2004 record I Am Hollywood, not to mention the song with the same name, but today he is on the show to discuss what the band is doing next. On April 28 of this year, He Is Legend will release their fifth full-length record, Few. This is a special record for the group as it is one created entirely from contributions from fans. Schuylar tells James about the creation of Few, as well as where the band hopes to go in the future.
The title of the song used in this episode of Inside Music is “Air Raid,” which is taken from He Is Legend’s upcoming album Few. You can watch the video for the song on Vevo.
You can subscribe to and review Inside Music on iTunes. The show can also be found on Soundcloud and the Stitcher app.
