Liam Gallagher’s son Gene has launched his band Villanelle’s debut single, Hinge. But the trio have avoided sounding like Oasis and mined a different 90s vibe for their own music – grunge. Gene admits growing up in Liam’s shadow forced him to take his time before revealing his band’s music. Villanelle tour in December.
A good year for Gallaghers is about to get even better thanks to Liam’s son Gene. The 24-year-old’s band Villanelle have shared their debut single, Hinge featuring Gene on vocals/guitar alongside Ben Taylor (guitar) and Jack Schiavo (bass).
The first taste from an upcoming EP, Hinge is heavier than anything previous generations of Gallaghers have unleashed and, if anything, has echoes of grunge rather than Britpop. The band have cited Nirvana’s ‘Incesticide’, Deftones, Smashing Pumpkins, Dinosaur Jr as influences as well as Black Sabbath, and the maximalist wall of sound of My Bloody Valentine.
Gene – who has definitely inherited his dad’s ability to drag out a vowel sound – said: “That’s my favourite sort of music, so there’s some of that in everything I write.
“Hinge is about paranoia derived from sleepless nights. I was probably hungover when I wrote it.”
Bandmate Ben added: “Hinge is just simple and high energy. Anyone can play it, but no one can play it like us.”
In between modelling jobs, Gene formed VILLANELLE in 2023 and he appears to take after his uncle Noel when it comes to leading a band, even if they don’t sound like Oasis.
“Gene brings the most unique perspective on both life and music of anyone I’ve ever met,” states Ben. “I’m very organised with the way I play music, and Gene is the complete opposite.”
Gene spent many years perfecting his craft knowing he would be compared to his dad if he ever released his own music.
He once said: “There are so many things that can go wrong when making a band. I didn’t really realise that at first, but there’s so much, right down to the people in it. There are so many moving parts.
“Being in the situation I’m in (with Liam as his dad), I feel like the best path for me is to take my time and wait for the right moment. Things need to be ready, perfect even, before I make a move.”
For a while Gene was going to be a drummer but he said: “Guitar is my No1, one hundred percent. It used to be drums growing up. My dad wanted me to play drums but guitar is my main thing. But then there’s piano and keyboard. If I could only play the piano, I’d still be set. It’s the god of instruments! Once you’ve mastered the piano it’s game over.”
VILLANELLE embark on an underplay headline tour in December across the country kicking off in Glasgow (December 4). Hinge is out now.
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