British rock trio HYBRID SPIRITS has a fusion of sound, that is exciting and new. So much so, that their style cannot be described because it blends a bit of everything and is different with each and every song released. Since their formation the band has released a handful of EP's and a debut album as well. All new music is also in the works too, the band just wanting to work on all new content as much as possible. With that, the band goes into discussion about all of this and more.
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Hybrid Spirits are :
Nigel Rooke – Vocals, lyrics, keyboards and drum programming.
Paul Kirk – Vocals, lyrics, keyboards, guitars and drum programming.
Voodoo Jade – Vocals and lyrics
We formed in 2017 after Paul Kirk met Voodoo Jade via a collaborative project with a mutual friend. Before that, Paul and Nigel were in a band for many years called “Aus der Asche” which became known as “From the Ashes UK”. After the collaborative project, Paul and Nigel invited Voodoo Jade to join them in their music venture, and Hybrid Spirits were born!
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
It was difficult to find a band name which everybody liked, but between us we came up with the name “Hybrid” Spirits. The word Hybrid describes our music, as we don’t believe that we sound like anybody else. Our music can’t be pigeon-holed, and our releases can vary. We chose to add the name “Spirits” to our band name because we all get along really well, like 3 kindred spirits.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
We all originate from around Birmingham UK, but these days Paul lives in West Yorkshire. Birmingham is England’s 2nd largest city outside of London, so there is plenty of music and local bands to entertain everybody (when there isn’t a Covid-19 lockdown!) – England is entering a 2nd national lockdown on 5 November 2020. Birmingham UK is known for great bands such as Black Sabbath, ELO, UB40 and Ocean Colour Scene, to name a few. Paul and Nigel used to regularly play gigs around the local area. Gigging for us isn’t as easy now as we don’t live close together, and Voodoo Jade is in a wheelchair. However, we wouldn’t rule out playing Glastonbury or another festival if we were asked to!!!
4. How would you describe your style?
We can’t describe our style as everything which we work on is different from the last song. To date, our music has ranged from ambient to alternative, from electronic to rock. The feel of our music can vary too, from gritty, raw, dark, emotional, dramatic, through to light, easy to listen to and dance music.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
In 2018 we released our debut ambient album called “Astral Whispers”. This was electronic music written around recordings of planets in our solar system which had been recorded and released by NASA. It is a great album to relax to and helps the listener to feel like they’re exploring space.
In 2019 we released an EP called “Fear”. It is alternative, dark, with elements of goth, rock and industrial music. The title track has proved very popular on radio stations!
In 2020 we have just released an EP called “Mirage”. It has a mixture of light and dark music. It includes the dark electronic song “Rain or Shine” which we recorded and released as a charity single during lockdown, raising funds for the International Committee of the Red Cross’s emergency Covid-19 appeal : https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/covid-19-emergency-appeal
The Mirage EP includes 2 rock songs called “Mirage” and “Mysteria-Hysteria”, and a lighter song which is sung partly in French called “La Vie En Rose Et Noire”.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
We have already recorded some new songs which will be on a future release. Again, it is a different feel to the music which we’ve already released, and would be classed as darkwave/electronic. We are still writing more music for the next EP/album so everything could change yet! We do alternate vocals between Nigel and Voodoo Jade, and the next EP will predominately be Nigel on main vocals. His voice is perfect for darker songs!
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
As stated above, we don’t play any shows or tours at this moment in time. We work on our songs electronically and remotely. Each song is passed to each and member to add what they wish, before a song is completed. Lockdown was a positive experience for music writing for us, as we had more free time to work on music individually. We don’t meet up in person very often, but we have regular band meetings on video chat.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
We plan to keep writing and recording music as and when we can, and to continue to enjoy the experience! The band is also recording relaxation music for a series of meditation tracks which Voodoo Jade is currently working on. There are some tracks for general meditations, and some for the development of psychic awareness/abilities.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can find our music at: https://hybridspirits.bandcamp.com/. Also on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Deezer and Pandora amongst other streaming sites. Just search for us and our song “Fear” and you’ll find us!
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
To remember that we are passionate about the music which we create, and that we appreciate everyone who listens and supports us! Thank you!
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