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If you never read “Catcher in the Rye” or listened to Nirvana, rap, or punk when you were, or are still, a teenager, read and listen to them now!
What does this free advice have to do with a local band called Nerves Junior? Band member Brennon Staples points to the importance of the right kind of music for young people “because of all the hormones and stuff, especially teenage angst.”
Let me say from the start, I’m a fan. Nerves Junior has a great sound. When asked what groups influenced them, Zack O’Rennick and Staples cite influence from English bands, such as Radiohead and Portishead, with ranges from dub step, hip-hop, house, garage, punk, and others. I think they have the sound of the band Muse and a little bit of sound from the Foo Fighters. They definitely have a broad interest in music.
Just who is Nerves Junior? O’Rennick (lead singer), Chris Snow (guitar), Staples (bassist) and Bray McCoy (drummer) have known each other for quite awhile. Three of the members have graduated from high school. Snow attended Christian Academy and Eastern; McCoy attended high school in Paducah but lived in Louisville after graduation; Staples went to Doss High but graduated from Meade County High School; and O’Rennick attended Breckinridge County High.
Although they seem big in the underground scene, the members also have part-time jobs. But music is their main focus.
Since graduation, Nerves Junior’s original lineup — which included two guys no longer in the band — ventured to New York and played a show. After the show and after gaining some fame, two band members, the original bassist and drummer, left the group. At this point the band had to rebuild. That’s when Staples and McCoy entered the picture.
Last March the band went to Austin, Texas, for a show tour. On the way down, the van they bought six months prior broke down in the middle of Oklahoma. O’Rennick said they scrapped the van for $300 and rented a U-Haul to continue their journey.
Just as they were finishing the story about the van, the engineer for the band, Jeff, who has visited Trinity to set up sound in the Rocks’ auditorium, walked into the 15th Street practice space. As music played above, I thought to myself, how many bands have practiced here?
Brennon said the space belongs to a former musician. He took sympathy on local bands/musicians and decided to rent it out to bands because there is no other place in Louisville to practice, other than what O’Rennick describes as a tiny stone place that has ceilings only six feet tall.
Sadly, I feel that not many people know of Nerves Junior because there is no simple way to reach teens. There used to be many places that would allow live performances, but now there are only a few places to play in Louisville’s underground music scene. Zanzibar is the top venue, or Headliners Music Hall. But they are 18-and-over places.
From a personal stance, I feel at ease whenever I listen to punk. It helps get some of the anger out. Listening to someone that relates to you is the best thing ever. It can also lead to inspiration and different sorts of music, which leads me to my last question for Nerves Junior: “What do you need to start a band?”
Their reply: 1. Listen to the Beatles a lot. 2. Buy a drum machine. 3. Work with people you trust. Group members emphasized: “If you’re not famous, do it because you love it. If you don’t love it, don’t do it.”
Despite their talent, the group is modest. They don’t think girls like their music. I think they are just putting themselves down. Listen to their new EP, “Craters,” and their previous album, “It’s as Bright as Your Nightlight,” and you’ll see.
A new EP/album may be coming out relatively early this year, probably in April; however, this is not official. If this album/EP is more ingenious than “Craters,” I’ll listen to it every day. Shortly after the interview, with just O’Rennick and Staples, Snow walked in with his guitar, sat down and began playing a melody.
O’Rennick got up and gave me a T-shirt, CD, and a load of pins. I hung out and chatted for maybe five more minutes, thanked them for the shirt and pins, and left. Best of luck to the band members, because they seem like a good group of guys, and I hope they go on the road to great success. They do what they love and I hope they stick to it.
Nerves Junior also has a band camp page. Here is the link to “Craters.”
