InMe: “We were young and just wanted to make the purest best album and travel the world!”

In January 2003, Essex newcomers InMe dropped their debut album Overgrown Eden. Little were the friends from Essex to know that the album was soon to become an album that would send them around the world and have them heralded in the UK media as one of the best rock bands in Britain. Leading a wave of alternative rock bands emerging from the UK at the time, the album reached number 15 in the UK top 40 album charts and number 1 in the UK rock chart, spawned a slew of huge singles and saw the band grace the covers of the UK rock press.

Now over 20 years later Overgrown Eden has just had the reissue treatment with a double vinyl released on 1st November via Music For Nations. This expanded edition, limited to 666 copies comes with an additional bonus LP featuring 10 non-album/b-side tracks.

In our latest Cover Story, frontman Dave McPherson looks back at the album, the journey it took the alt-rock band on and, if their career hadn’t taken off, what was plan B…

What prompted you to reissue Overgrown Eden on vinyl?

“Basically, we got talking to Music For Nations (the label we originally signed to for Overgrown Eden) about it and a year later here we are! It all tied in nicely with doing some special shows celebrating the old and new. We’re releasing our new album Demons next year, so this release and our touring just fit perfectly with our ongoing plans. It’s just great to celebrate the album that started it all for us. And the vinyl is delicious with all ten B-sides on it too, which is a first.”

Let’s go back to the start then. What do you remember about writing the album?

“I was a teenager so some of the songs were written when I was at school / college living with my parents! I was a mixed up lost little soul so the songs meant everything to me, my emotional release. I remember being obsessed with the music and lyrics but also it was a tough time. Once we were signed there was a lot of external pressure and that’s probably evident in the sound.”

“I was a mixed up lost little soul so the songs meant everything to me, my emotional release.”

Looking back what did you want to achieve with it?

“We just wanted to be a BIG band, to play live full time and make music for a living. We were young and wide eyed and just wanted to make the purest best album and travel the world!”

If you had the chance to record it again, what would you change about the record?

“I’d make the vocals ten times better. I’ve mastered my voice a lot in the twenty years since, so I’d love another shot at nailing that. I was encouraged to put gravel and grit in my vocal without fully finding my voice yet, so on a personal level, I struggle to hear myself sing sometimes!”

Some of the songs were written when you were a teenager, what did you learn as a songwriter writing that album?

“I learn every day about the craft. I think for our age the songs are pretty well damn constructed! I guess it imprinted the idea that the key to a good song is feeling, melody and structural composition. And of course a cheeky fun riff.”

V13 – Cover Story – Issue73 – INME

Let’s talk about touring, what was it like going on the road for the album? Any memorable stories?

“A fast learning curve. It was a mad time and so much happened that almost doesn’t sound real. We toured with some of the biggest bands for that cycle. Biffy Clyro supported us, Nickelback had us as special guests, headlined Millennium Dome, toured Japan & Europe, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Feeder, Staind, the list goes on. I learnt very quickly that I love touring life. It suits me. The shows, the travel, the camaraderie, the fun, the people. It’s part of me.”

The press got right behind you when the record came it. In hindsight, being a young new band, was that pressure and expectation helpful or a hinderance?

“Both. Obviously it played a big part in elevating everything which I’m grateful for. It was hard reading mean stuff all the time, but we signed up for that. I think we were perceived as this band that had it easy, but we definitely worked hard to achieve what we did.”

“We were young and wide eyed and just wanted to make the purest best album and travel the world!”

How did you handle being labelled as things like the best new band in Britain?

“I mean, I’d be pretty deluded if I actually believed that kind of high praise! I was a young insecure kid with big issues I hadn’t dealt with, so regardless of the accolades, I didn’t think I was anything special.”

From writing, recording then touring that album, how do you think you changed as a band when you went to record White Butterfly?

“We’d grown up somewhat. We went deliberately massive in sound for White Butterfly. Recorded it with producer Josh Abraham (30 Seconds To Mars etc) in Los Angeles over two months. A perfect dreamy experience. I was incredibly focused and living the dream.”

“I learnt very quickly that I love touring life. It suits me. The shows, the travel, the camaraderie, the fun, the people. It’s part of me.”

Twenty years later, what is the first thing that goes through your mind when you listen to the album?

“I don’t listen to the album personally! Although I adore playing most of the songs. It’s all about connecting with other people in the moment, and those songs seem to bring us all together at our shows.”

If the InMe of today got the chance to speak to the InMe that recorded Overgrown Eden what advice would you give the band and what advice would you give yourself?

“To the band, I really don’t know. I don’t think any advice I could give would help more than actually experiencing the pitfalls etc. To me, quit drinking permanently. The best thing I’ve ever done was to quit alcohol, I wish I’d done so twenty years earlier.”

That album was the start of an incredible journey for InMe. If it wasn’t for the success of Overgrown Eden, what was Plan B?

“I really don’t know. I was studying English Literature, History & British Government & Politics at college when we got signed. I was constantly writing poetry etc too, so perhaps some kind of writer was the Plan B. Knowing myself who I am today, I enjoy physical “busy” graft. I’m a ward based technician at Brighton hospital as my part time job, so I guess that’s my Plan B. I’m incredibly passionate about being part of our NHS. I like helping people and being useful.”

InMe ‘Overgrown Eden’ Album Artwork