Five o'clock on a cold Halloween saw me sitting in the pub across from Nambucca, the venue for the Priory's gig that night waiting for the band to finish up soundchecking. When they turn up, they're all smiles and singer Ash turns to me and says: "We've just met the guy who played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings'. From then on in, an interview full of laughter and quickfire comments followed.

R13: First off, how's the tour going?
Ash: Tour? What tour? Oh that tour [laughs]. Oh yeah, very good. We had a good gig last night, and it should be good tonight, we just soundchecked. Should be alright, I suppose.
R13: Your shows are quite legendary for being explosive, from what I understand. How are they going down with the people you're playing to?
Ash: It's good, thanks. It's good playing to different people and wherever we play anyway, we make new fans whether it's playing music, or even if it's just speaking to them. D'ya know what I mean? They get the buzz of us-
Nash: Gained a few new fans, that way.
Ash: We got a few new fans last night, and the night before. So, hopefully we'll make a few more tonight.
R13: So, you're big on crowd interaction? Or interacting with fans, full stop.
Ash: Yeah, if people are getting into the music it's going to make your performance better, I suppose. At the end of the day, we're just putting our message across. That's just what we're here to do, the four of us just liked this music and we started writing it. But when you start playing it to .people, it takes it into a different kind of world, like. It is kind of personal, what we do and it's good to see that other people like it.
R13: So, what is your message then?
[general laughter and much umming and ahhing ensues around the table]
Ash: There's not so much a message, as the record is about our lives, and our views on certain things. There's no particular message on a specific subject.
Nash: We cover quite a broad range of subjects
R13: This may be a clichéd question, but would you say that performing was a way to get rid of your demons?
Ash: [looks a tad surprised] A way to get rid of our demons?
R13: Yeah, given your live shows are meant to be quite explosive.
Ash: I don't think we've got any demons to get rid of. But I like the idea of demons, more demons welcome. There are a lot of demons in the music industry, know what I mean? Nah, they're all very nice demons

R13: And when it comes to writing new material, is it a group effort or do individual members contribute as and when they've got something?
Ash: It's always a group effort. When the band's got an idea, we just work on that and come up with something.
R13: Also, there's a dark and industrial edge to your music, did growing up in Wolverhampton have anything to do with that?
Ash: Oh definitely, a lot of the sounds we use to record are quite industrial sounds.
Nash: Sampled Wolverhampton in our songs. Shot the video there as well, the video for Freeworld was shot around Wolverhampton where we grew up. It was like plugging the computer into the ground, and getting the industrial estate and everything - it was quite a good idea.
R13: Who did your video then?
Ash: It was a company called Sinica, they're like an up and coming film production company. But they've got some good ideas.
Nash: And they like our people, and we like their people-
Ryan: And they're from Wolverhampton, too, so it's all very local.
Ash: Yeah, we've had an in-house deal with them.
R13: Keeping it local.
Nash: Yeah, it's what you know, they're just round the corner from us.

R13: And more generally, who are your influences?
Ash: Well obviously we take a lot from our surroundings.
Ryan: Do you mean musically?
R13: Yeah.
Ash: Well all different, like, genres. You know, there's no, like, specific bands we're into. We've all grown up listening to different stuff, through the years, from rock and roll backgrounds to electronic.
Ryan: Listen to a lot of Phil Collins at the moment. Whatever we listen to, and like has some influence on what we do.

R13: And, finally, a couple more questions before you go. Tell us a bit more about yourselves, The Priory, not much is known about you.
Ash: Four lads from Wolverhampton, we're in a little band just making quite big music. We've got a single coming up soon. We're a bit obscure, not that many people know that much about us. We've been going about two years
Ryan: We've grown up together more or less, as mates. We've been in, y'know, difference bands and in the last two years we've, like, actually formed this and it just feels right. It's more like a family, than a group - I mean, we've grown up together.

R13: What does the future hold for the Priory?
Ryan: A lot of things could happen, if enough people get to hear our music. I think if people want to listen to a band that's got something to say, apart from talking about the old babble, people'll be able to relate to it instead of listening to bands that have got nothing to say. I mean, if you've got

R13: Well, that's it so thanks a lot for your time, and good luck
TP: Thank you.