1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project?
Nemeta are a black & folk metal band based in Glasgow, Scotland. We combine influence from atmospheric, progressive & folk oriented black metal with traditional Scottish music, using distorted electric-violin alongside typical metal instrumentation. Our lyrics are partly in Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic), with themes around the history & ecology of Scotland. Our debut EP was released on the 22nd of September, which OccultBlackMetalZine kindly gave an 8/10 review.
2.So far you have released an ep, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical style that you went for on the recording?
The above-mentioned styles can be heard throughout the EP. There is also a more dungeon synth-based track, and elements of 70s folk and progressive rock elsewhere.
3.Your lyrics cover the History and Ecology of Scotland, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?
I grew up in West Yorkshire in the north of England, but my dad is Scottish and all my early holidays were spent either visiting family around Glasgow or hill walking up in the Highlands, which made a big impact on me, and I still enjoy exploring the outdoors. When I was a teenager we finally moved up to Scotland and I have lived here ever since. My dad also taught me how to play the bagpipes when I was 6 years old, and I began playing the violin (or fiddle) a year or so after. So Scottish folk is an important part of my musical background. I’ve always been interested in history as well, particularly Medieval, Iron Age Celtic and earlier Stone Age pre-history. Folk music also felt like a living connection to this past, as some of the surviving traditional songs and tunes can be hundreds of years old.
4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nemeta'?
Nemeta is the ancient Celtic word for ‘sacred places’. The singular, ‘Nemeton’, is still a fairly common element of place names in Scotland, for example Duneaves (‘fort of the nemeton’) in Perthshire. The music for Nemeta is directly inspired by my encounters with local landscapes, either places that were historically considered sacred and still contain clues to the past – archaeological remains, ancient names; or else places where I have had my own intense experiences and feel a sense of connection to.
5. Can you tell us a little bit more about the artwork that is presented on the ep cover?
The EP cover shows the southern point of Innis na Cailleach, an island on Loch Lomond. The last three songs of the EP are a joint trilogy inspired by a kayak trip to the island on a misty November morning last year. Innis na Cailleach has a very colourful history, and the lyrics to the songs describe some elements of this. I’ll leave it to listeners to explore the details further!
6.Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you open to expanding the line up or do you prefer to remain a duo?
I like the duo set up for recording, but will bring in a bassist and guitarist for live shows so I can focus on vocals and electric-violin.
7.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
The plan was to release the EP independently, to get things started and gauge the general interest for our music. I will be looking for a label for following releases however.
8.On a worldwide level how has the reaction been to your music by fans of black and folk metal?
It is still early to say for sure, we only made the band public about a month ago and our social media presence is still small for example, but we have had some really positive feedback already and it has been exciting to see how quickly people have taken to our music.
9.When can we expect a full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
I have a couple of ideas for a follow up – one is an album of black metal renditions of traditional folk songs. The other is a more concept-driven progressive album, describing the changes between the ancient cultures of Scotland through their remains in the landscape, from the first egalitarian Palaeolithic and Mesolithic hunters and the stone tools we have found, to the more hierarchical Neolithic cultures with their rock art and standing stones, and then the warlike societies of the Bronze and Iron Ages with their hill forts.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Satyricon and Ulver’s first albums and Agalloch’s entire back catalogue are the obvious black metal influences. The traditional folk music influences are a bit more organic – largely coming from what I heard growing up and playing in folk sessions and singarounds. Added to those two main strands there is also 70s prog and folk-rock influence from bands like Fairport Convention, Five Hand Reel, High Tide and Comus, bits of doom metal, bits of dungeon synth, ambient and experimental music – Current 93 is another big one.
In terms of what I’m listening to right now, I am very excited for the new Kayo Dot record coming out at the end of October and have been listening to the singles released so far, as well as their old albums and Maudlin of the Well material.
11.Does Paganism play any role in your music?
As hinted at in previous answers – definitely yes, but it’s complicated. I would say I am ‘pagan-inspired’, but not a pagan. I’m not interested in reviving some fossilised historical paganism, and have no commitment to beliefs about the supernatural. Nemeta is a way of ‘communicating’ with different pre-Christian cultures and the remains, the art and architecture they have left behind, and the places they considered important. It's more psychological than religious. I go to these places, find out what I can about their possible meaning, feel a strong response to them and let these experiences inspire my imagination, my own beliefs and ideas of the past and present and create a musical response. Personally, I’m more sympathetic to the animistic beliefs of hunter gatherer societies than the gods and priesthoods that came later, but these are still fascinating and rich inspiration for our music.
There is also a pagan-inspired focus on my relationship to the landscape and non-human world in Nemeta which is reflected in the music in different ways – references to the names, habitats and habits of various mountains, rivers, trees, fungi and animals and my interactions with them. I’d like to take this even further in future releases, incorporating field recordings, or making music directly inspired by calls and sounds from nature for example.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to feature such a brand-new band and ask some very thought provoking questions!
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