We are no strangers to sludge/Stoner/metacore crew URNE here at The Midlands Rocks. Having spoken to bassist/vocalist Joe Nally (here) and witnessed their incendiary live show (reviewed here and here), the band come with our seal of approval. So when the opportunity arose to speak to guitarist Angus Neyra and drummer James Cook at this year’s ArcTanGent festival…well, of course you would.

You’ve become veterans of festivals. How does ArcTanGent fit into the scheme of things?

James: It’s our first time ever at ArcTanGent and it’s been great to experience a different, more unique, type of festival.

Angus: We got here at 1pm and we played at 3pm, so we haven’t really had time to go around, we just arrived and played our set, which I loved; I really enjoyed it, but now I’m looking forward to seeing some bands from this amazing line-up.

So what’s it like going on stage at 3pm? How do you psyche yourself up for an afternoon show?

James: The same way I psyche myself up for an evening gig; the effort and preparation I’m putting into the show is the same. The day before an afternoon show you’ll be more aware, make sure you get to bed a bit earlier. I enjoyed today, apart from the heat, but I approach an afternoon show the same way.

You both seem pretty chilled, but I’ve spoken to some musicians who’re fresh off stage and they’re ready to kill someone, because they’re full of adrenaline. So how do you come down after a gig?

Angus: That’s a funny thing, we do what we do, but we also hold down jobs at the same time. We always joke that we play these amazing festivals and shows in front of thousands of people, then we go back to our jobs and our work mates don’t understand, that rush is there for us, we’re buzzing and excited. It might not seem it, but the buzz is still there for me, so I have a beer and try to chill.

James: I tend to have that level of adrenaline at the start of the show; it’s a “let’s do this!” vibe, then as I go through the show the adrenaline burns and that’s where all my energy comes from. Afterwards, it feels like we’ve accomplished the thing we came to do. I don’t want to make it sound like a job because I love what I do, but the crowd have come here for a purpose and I’ve got to give them what they want and I think that having that adrenaline, that push to go into it helps me serve that purpose.

I’m very enamoured by your big sound. How do three people get so heavy?

Angus: Tom [Dimmock, guitarist with Tuskar] our sound guy, he’s like another member of the band. He knows the sound, he knows our songs, he makes us sound amazing. In terms of instrumentally we don’t try to layer the songs too much because we are a three-piece band, we want to make it live, raw, have that energy there still. Personally, in terms of guitar I’ve switched to digital amps so that fills the sound.

James: Since I’ve joined URNE, I’ve been using drums made by a company called Dixon who make amazing drums and they are perfect for what URNE do, they have a big roomy, boomy sound and it just fills up the space. Being in the band and playing more shows, you learn how to curate your sound a little bit more. Many people have told us we should have a second guitarist, but I don’t want that; it holds something special between us having the three of us in the band and I don’t want anything to change it in any way, shape or form. I say that as not an original member but I wouldn’t want anything but the three of us. I think that we can sound so big, just the three of us, without samples or anything, that’s something special. In a selfish way, I get more visibility with the crowd; when there’s a big band jumping around in front of you, you’re kind of obscured as a drummer, but in URNE I have a drum part and Angus and Joe will split to give me my moment in the spotlight and I’ve never had that before. I’ve even had people recognising me after a show, and that’s never happened before either; they’ve given me a chance to be seen and it is fantastic.

Angus: At the same time, you are very exposed as a three-piece, so we rehearse these songs to the best of our ability to make sure we can do them justice.

Aside from being heavy musically, I also find your songs emotionally weighty, too. What’s it like inhabiting those songs on stage?

Angus: Obviously we can’t speak for Joe, but the last album was very personal for him, but he presented it in the songs and it is there for people to take things from. But it’s a very emotional album for him, and it also hits home for us. So, I think the emotion and the drive in the lyrics comes through in that way. Music wise, as a guitarist I’m a very melodic player, I fit in chords here and there, but I like the melodies to push the emotion in that way.

James: I just swing my arms a bit more and make a funny face! [laughs] For me, it has always been about the crowd’s energy. Having it come at me and then giving it back, that ebb and flow is what I live for. During lockdown I tried to keep busy and I probably played drums more than I do now, but it did nothing for me. However, playing a gig like we did this afternoon, that touched my heart; that’s the reason I play drums.

Music should always be a collaborative experience.

James: A good friend of ours from France who went through serious spinal surgery, and even had addiction problems, and the connection he has to our last album, A Feast On Sorrow is absolutely heart wrenching. It’s amazing to think that from music we put out there, someone has taken that and got strength from it. It’s not what we set out to do, we are musicians, but to have that reaction to your music…what could be more fulfilling?

It must be humbling.

James: Absolutely. We’re just metalheads and we want people to enjoy our type of metal. It does take a toll, I know Joe gets a lot of messages from people who have been through similar things, it’s a lot for anyone to go through, but to have that cycle in music where you get positive feedback is amazing.

A question for Angus; how has the chemistry altered since James has joined URNE?

Angus: First off, the story with our last album; we had a few songs written, maybe four or five, some things happened with our drummer, we had to part ways, but then James stepped in and he had maybe two months to learn all the old songs and then collaborate on the new tracks before we went to New York to work with no other than Joe Duplantier from Gojira, so obviously the pressure is on us, and especially James stepping in. But I’m excited to see where the next album takes us as well, James joined halfway through the last album, but now everything is fresh. Also, I’ll hum a song idea, a poly rhythmic beat, and send him a voice note, it’ll sound stupid but this is how we decipher each others ideas and it is amazing how James can understand my nonsense!

And James, what was it like joining the band. Obviously, Joe and Angus go back a long way together.

James: Well, I was very lucky in that I’ve known these boys for over 10 years. Through previous bands I’d played in, we were always in the same circle. If you can play your instrument to a certain level, it’s fairly easy to enter a band and do what you have to do, but personality wise, that’s where the difference is. Both Angus and Joe became like uncles to my son, instantly, and to have that was amazing, especially when things were so intense going into the band, I was working on these songs six days a week to make sure everything went well and these guys made it so much easier. As much pressure as there was on me, they didn’t add more to it. I love being in this band.

Angus: We gel really well as personalities as well, which is what you want on top of the music.

You mentioned that the next album will be a fresh start. Obviously, you’ve been bouncing around ideas with James, so in what direction do you think you’ll go?

Angus: I don’t know how much we want to reveal or how much we can reveal. [laughs]

James: I think there’s certain areas where musically and technically we’ve pushed the boundaries. I know we’ve discussed previously that there’s things that I can do that’ll open up new areas to explore. Now we can start looking in to that type of thing. We are trying to make it as organic as possible as well. I’ve been in bands where we’ve had a blueprint and there’s things we feel we’ve got to do and it loses spontaneity. I always think about people who are put on a commission to create a certain thing and does that ever work out well for the artist? So, I don’t want to put any boundaries or borders on what we are going to do. URNE didn’t put any boundaries on A Feast On Sorrow. I look back on tracks that we haven’t even played live like ‘A Stumble Of Words’, I think that’s a masterpiece, and I think that if we ever play it live, that’ll be my proudest moment. That’s my Mona Lisa, that song, so I think that’s what it’ll be like; be as organic as possible and let it flow.

Finally, it’s magic wand time. What one wish can I make come true for URNE?

Angus: I’d say to do this band full-time. Makehis band is all I do so I can focus on it fully.

James: Definitely, to have the full focus on the band. That would be the absolute dream.

And do you think you are on the road to reaching that goal?

James: I hope so, it seems to be growing every show.

Angus: It feels organic though. It’s been a slow climb, but that’s the way you want it because you stick to it, put in the work and it happens organically.

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