Gloria are quickly establishing themselves as one of the most exciting emerging artists from the North. The Lancaster-based 5-piece were recently championed by Elaine Willcox from ITV Granada Introducing who described them as ‘a mix of Freddy Mercury and David Bowie and melodic rock guitar power’.
While the band may still only be in their early stages, Gloria have already made their mark in the live music scene, with their most recent accolade being a sellout headline show at The Deaf Institute in Manchester. Last year Gloria released their debut EP ‘Looking Forwards / Looking Back’, as well as playing a host of other marquee shows including the renowned Highest Point Festival.
Gloria are set to release their brand new single ‘Anymore’, a brazen blend of driving guitar melodies and lead singer Austin’s encapsulating careworn vocals.
The track is to be released on Friday 4th February complete with a brand new music video.
Tell us about the genesis of the project
The idea for Anymore actually came during our phase as three piece with nothing more than a few mismatched guitar parts, a few lyrics and several more Saturday night pints in the home studio. At the time we felt the song, in its former state, was too heavy for the sound we were trying to deliver and so it got put to one side and we just maintained playing it at our shows. When the band became a 5 piece and we began to rehearse it immediately became apparent that Anymore was the prominent song in our set that got people moving and with that ethos carried forward we decided to take it to the studio.
What do think art is all about?
In short, every piece of art created stems from the artist or the self and with that in mind the artwork that is forged should be something personal or something that inspires you to create. Art is an expressive thing, it allows us to release anything that has not yet been put to rest be that in a rejoiceful or cathartic sense. It gives others an insight into a moment in time, a place, a feeling. The beauty however is that you can communicate whatever you want. Art is free and the artist themselves are free to convey whatever message they see fit hence why there is such a variety to the term art.
Top 3 artists in your binge rotation last year?
Greta Van Fleet- A band that heavily inspired our last release, they’re really making a case for modern rock music and are providing a gateway for rock/guitar based musicians such as ourselves. Their sound is gritty, powerful and emotive with exciting riffs coming out of their ears.
Anderson Pac- Very soulful mixture of R&B and Hip-Hop. Fantastic hooks and catchy percussion sections all recorded by the lead man himself.
Kaleo- Incredible male vocalist blending blues rock and folk effortlessly to create a highly unique and impressive, original sound.
How do you keep inspiration alive?
Collaboration is our key to a lack of inspiration. The beauty of being in a 5 piece of like minded creatives is that when one of us is in a creative drought usually one of the others will come up with an idea that sparks the rest of us in turn. We usually find that getting over that hurdle of an initial idea is the hardest part and once we’ve overcome that, the rest usually writes itself.
Projects and goals for 2022?
In essence we aim to keep doing what we’re doing now. Writing, recording and releasing our tracks with a big helping of lives dates to go with it, All those things are why we love what we do so we would like to move forward this year doing as much of that as possible.
Anything you would change in the industry if you could?
I think on the whole we’d like to see more inclusivity across the industry. We ourselves know incredibly talented creatives in the industry that seem to struggle to attain the same opportunities as those not in a minority group which is something we very strongly stand against. Also growing up in a small working class town up North you soon realise you haven’t got the same support and infrastructure to nurture your passion like those living in big cities. I think the industry needs to reach out further to support those whose voices aren’t being championed to the same degree.
Tell us about your latest Release and how it came about.
Anymore was conceived whilst still working as a three piece out of a small bedroom in Lancaster. I remember being in a foul mood, coming home from work and started absolutely beating the hell out of my guitar and the first riff was born from that. After presenting it to Austin he worked his magic on it and before I knew it we had a basic structure. We rehearsed the tune and it got a great reception when we debuted it live however as the majority of material we were writing at the time didn’t follow the same rocky sound that Anymore demanded so we decided to put it to one side. Fast forward a couple of years and as a 5 piece we were looking for material to use for a gig for SKY Showcase and Anymore got put forward. With the fullness of sound that we can achieve as a 5 piece the track was transformed from its original form into an entirely different beast, it felt as though every note was heightened and had more purpose. The track is about breaking free from the things in life that hold you back and I supposed this one allowed us to break free from ourselves and the doubt that the song didn’t match our sound. We tend not to maintain one specific sound nowadays and although our songs are cohesive we aim to allow the music to foreshadow and then enhance the lyrical message.
What does your creative process look like?
Our process is really simple. It always starts with one of us having the initial brainwave which is then presented to the group in rehearsals and from there the rest just takes care of itself. Its strange really as the music genuinely seems to write itself. If I sit at my desk thinking “I need to write a song” then 9/10 times nothing happens. Its the moments where you’re sat thinking nothing when inspiration hits. It feels like something out there is giving you something to work with and quite often its only when a song is finished that we start to see the full meaning behind it.
Proudest moment of being a band so far?
Without a doubt it would be our first television appearance. With only 4 weeks notice myself and Austin needed to bring together a new band and get them up to speed with an entire setlist of material. Chris (Bass) and Ethan (Keys/Rytham Guitar) already had learn’t some of the tracks without even being asked as they had followed and appreciated our music prior to joining. Maxx (drums) came in with only a week to spare but after a long week of sofa surfing and rehearsing the outfit gave a faultless performance. I couldn’t have been prouder of the effort, passion and determination that was put in to pull that show off and their ethos has remained unshakeable since.
What piece of advice would you give yourselves?
Thats simple. Relax and trust the process. I would have never got into music as a career of my own accord. Through the experiences I had and the people I met, alongside an innate love of music I fell into this scene which I now wouldn’t change for the world. That, to me, shows that it doesn’t matter of you haven’t got a plan to follow. Your path becomes clear along the journey. A lot of people don’t believe in fate but I do. You’ll end up on the path you were destined for, sometimes you just need to put in a bit of extra work and effort to make it a reality.
