The Nymphs

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This article is about the band. For other uses, see Nymph (disambiguation).

Nymphs
Origin	United States
Genre(s)	Alternative rock, glam punk, grunge
Years active	1985–1992
Label(s)	Geffen Records
Members
Inger Lorre Jet Cliff D Sam Merrick Alex Kirst

The Nymphs were an alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s with lead singer Inger Lorre. The band was signed to Geffen Records, and released their only album in 1991. The Nymphs were known for their wild stage shows and their rebellious attitude towards record companies. The band broke up in 1992.

[edit] Band history

Lorre and guitarist Jet formed the band in New Jersey in the mid 1980s. The band moved to Los Angeles to pursue their musical careers, and after two members returned to New Jersey, Lorre and Jet recruited guitarist Sam Merrick, drummer Alex Kirst and bass player Cliff D. The band became known for its wild live shows around Los Angeles, with Lorre once performing oral sex on her boyfriend live on stage.^{[citation needed]}

The band was hoping to sign with an alternative label such as Alternative Tentacles, but their reputation led to interest from the major labels. However, the band's wild behaviour led to some companies losing interest. The band was recording a demo for A&M Records when Bono of U2 walked by as one of the band members was mooning another. Bono called Herb Alpert, which resulted in the session being cancelled.^[1]

The Nymphs eventually signed with Geffen Records in 1989, with the label offering an advance of $900,000. The band wanted to record immediately, but faced continuous delays from Geffen. The longest delay was caused when the producer of their album was taken from the project to work on the Guns N' Roses albums Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.

The delay in recording the album led to rising tension within the band. The band worked on building its name by supporting rising bands such as Soul Asylum and Soundgarden. However, Tom Zutaut, their A&R man, told them not to play live, resulting in a drunken Lorre urinating over his desk as an expression of her anger.^{[citation needed]} The incident attracted widespread attention in the music press. Courtney Love used a recording which Lorre had left on her answering machine for the track "Sassy", which appeared on the Hole album Pretty on the Inside.

The Nymphs made a brief cameo in the 1990 film Bad Influence, performing "The Highway".^[1]

The Nymphs eventually released their self-titled album in 1991, but it failed to chart. They were on tour with Peter Murphy when Lorre's boyfriend Chris Schlosshardt (bassist with the Sea Hags) died of a heroin overdose. Shortly afterwards, Lorre suffered a nervous breakdown. The band broke up in 1992, and Lorre returned to New Jersey, destitute and addicted to heroin.^{[citation needed]} An EP called The Practical Guide to Astral Projection, consisting of rarities and outtakes, was released in 1992, but it failed to chart. The Nymphs song "Revolt" appeared on the soundtrack of the 1992 horror film Pet Sematary II. When the band broke up, Alex, the drummer, was asked by Iggy Pop to join his touring band. Alex toured with them for ten years. ^[2]

Inger Lorre eventually resurfaced with the 1999 album Transcendental Medication.

Inger formed a new Nymphs in 2006 with her as the only original member. The band performed two shows in Los Angeles in early 2007. Inger has stated on her MySpace page that the Nymphs are going to release a new CD sometime in the future, and that their previous releases will be reissued.^[3]