It’s 24 years since Inger Lorre released a record. Now, inspired by current world events and her own journey of self-discovery and self-improvement, she’s back with Gloryland, an emotional journey through Americana in collaboration with her drummer and "partner in crime" Eric Contreras.
Today, after a tough couple of decades, she’s embracing sobriety and looking to the future thanks to her newly feathered creative wings.
What can you tell us about Gloryland?
It’s my most proud moment. Before, in the male-dominated hard rock scene, I kind of sung everything with my chin in the air, like, check out how tough I am. It was a character; Gloryland is brutally honest. I was afraid to show that part of myself to the world. I wrote these songs from the bottom of my heart. It’s about forgiveness and redemption in such a big way.
Why twenty-four years between this album and your previous one?
It was really the fans that brought me back, because I’m still afraid of the industry, the corporate machine. But you’ve got to keep it positive, because the world is so freakin’ dark right now. I felt like I needed to help heal some of the sadness. It was climate change and covid, everyone was committing suicide, everyone on fentanyl. I don’t know if the world has ever been in a darker place. But there’s something about it where I just needed to hold on to hope.
Gloryland has a real Americana feel to it. Where did that come from?
My father would always say: “You sound like a country artist to me.” And I would roll my eyes and go: “God, dad, you don’t know anything.” I didn’t know I had this voice. We know it’s original, because I’m not copying from anything but the feelings in my soul.
More Real is about when you seriously considered becoming a Buddhist nun, is that right?
I did. But I was fifty-six and you had to be fifty-five or under. It was a beautiful ashram in Tibet.
What led you down that path?
I was so angry and disappointed with Western culture. I felt extremely empty. I’d just had the best relationship I’ve ever had, and when I couldn’t stop using he was like: “Nope”, and he walked out the door. And that finally was like: “Oh my god, I gotta do something about this.” Then once I got some clarity, I knew what I was running from.
The reason I was doing all these drugs was because of the culture, and these false friendships. Everyone wants to feel better, but there’s less and less things to feel good about, society is breaking apart at such a fast rate. And honestly, I came back to fight Donald Trump and things like him.
Have you gained a lot of strength from this record?
So much. I feel like a different person. It’s taken on a life of its own. And now that makes me tear up, because I thought I was completely forgotten, just a has-been train wreck, drug-addled loser that the industry had spit out. This has given me a whole new reason to live. I’ve always had a plan, and I don't have one now. I guess that’s the new plan. Just whatever life throws up. All opportunities are open, and we’ll take all the opportunities.
Gloryland is out now via Kitten Robot Records.
