Biography
The cautionary saga surrounding Inger Lorre and the Nymphs might well serve as mandatory instruction for any hard rock aspirant who migrates toward Los Angeles and its recording machine. Lorre and guitarist Jet established the Nymphs in New Jersey during the middle of the 1980s before relocating westward, where they recruited second guitarist Sam Merrick, drummer Alex Kirst, and bassist Cliff D. Prospects initially appeared promising. Interest from labels emerged around the group’s atmospheric fusion of punk, goth, glam, and grunge, leading to a Geffen contract by the end of 1989. More than two years nevertheless elapsed before the self-titled debut finally surfaced. Throughout the interim, A&R executives and label personnel controlled and sidelined Lorre along with her bandmates. In 1991 her tolerance collapsed; angry and heavily intoxicated, she relieved herself on the desk of A&R executive Tom Zutaut. Geffen ultimately released Nymphs, yet an embittered Lorre had already reached her limit. She returned to New Jersey, after which the Nymphs disintegrated. A single posthumous EP followed: 1992’s Practical Guide to Astral Projection combined several tracks from Nymphs, select demos, and an indulgent rendition of Badfinger’s “Come and Get It.” Nearly ten years afterward, a sober Lorre reemerged with the potent solo album Transcendental Medication in 1999. Inger Lorre passed away on October 16, 2024, shortly after a cancer diagnosis, at the age of 61.
Albums
