Nerves hope debut single will hit the sweetest spot

Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell

Their musical education may have taken them to Dublin – but Nerves are a three-piece band with their roots firmly planted in the west. Which is why their date at Galway’s Róisín Dubh on February 6 is something of a homecoming – as well as the unveiling of their new release.

Faces is an energetic debut single that offers an authentic approach to synth-pop without shying away from catchy guitar hooks or a fast and creative rhythm.

Nerves are comprised of Spiddal bass player Charlie McCarthy, vocalist and guitarist Kyle Thornton and drummer Adam Nealon, both of whom hail from Foxford, Co. Mayo.

All three are students of Dublin music college BIMM and the immersive nature of the course and culture has had a major impact on their progression. Faces is the product of a multitude of approaches and influences that showcase the band’s diversity.

“We thought it would be a good song as the first thing most people are gonna hear from the band,” Kyle explains.

“With our style, we’ve jumped from one thing to another a lot. Our set starts out really poppy and gets heavier and heavier as it progresses along until the last song which is pretty much all-out punk.

“Faces we thought would be a nice middle ground – it has those weird synthy guitars and a poppy chorus but it still has an aggressive guitar line and the ending of the song builds up into something heavier. We thought it’d be a nice introduction to the band – the other songs don’t capture [the range of our sound] quite as well.”

Those attending the launch night in the Róisín Dubh can expect a lively set. Nerves seek to maintain the energy of a punk band as their style moves and changes.

“Faces as a song kind of gets heavier as it goes along,” Kyle notes. “It comes in the middle of the set as everything is turning that corner and starting to get louder. The first few songs have some noise rock in there but for the most part they’re pop songs. Faces is the start of that transition into a heavier sound.”

The variation in performance is matched by the band’s development in their approach to songwriting. Having spent a long time searching for the right bassist, Kyle feels the three-piece are now operating as a group.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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