It seems like bands will do try just about anything to distinguish themselves and attract the attention of potential fans. But a precious few are able to naturally and instantly appeal to both the eyes and ears in such a way as to not only draw attention, but keep it. The Nervous Wreckords is one of those few bands, but for many reasons. For starters, just look at that album cover. It just looks cool, not to mention the fact that it leaves you with a very memorable image to associate with the band. Secondly, few groups attempt hip and humorous, let alone pull off the two with such obvious enthusiasm. And furthermore, the style is an incredibly accurate reflection of the band’s music which sounds simple in theory but is difficult in practice. Each song on their LP Valuminium is vaguely indie rock-like, but each has a particular edge that becomes familiar after really digging into the full album. The sepia-toned strings and piano on “Similar But Not the Same” suggested charming bedroom alt-folk, but the vocal effects and spare use of the word “fuck” suggest something a little darker, perhaps with an emphasis on “bedroom”. I really liked “Classy Girls,” because the lyrics made me struggle between laughter and nodding in solemn agreement, and I was enthralled by the slight quiver in lead singer Brian Karscig’s voice. I exchanged words with him this weekend regarding The Nervous Wreckords‘ recent performance opening for Cee-Lo Green, the band’s adventures at The Grammy Awards, and where they’re headed next.

Laurel Kathleen: Before we tackle The Grammys, I have to know how the show at Fluxx in San Diego went with Cee-Lo Green. Was it intimidating sharing the bill with such a huge act? What did you take away from the show?

Brian Karscig: The show was a lot of fun, and we played really well too.  It wasn’t intimidating for us surprisingly enough: we are playing better than ever right now. We are straight off a couple of west coast concert runs, and we are feeling really confident and having a lot of fun with our live show. I think the overall thought of the band is “these are the kind of shows and artists we need to be playing with”. Cee-Lo was great, but he didn’t play that long.  I think we walked away learning that even though we are a rock band and Cee-Lo is a hip hop artist, we both share a little bit of the other in our music.  It makes for a very eclectic and diverse crowd, an evening of music and fans of both genres seemed to enjoy all of it.

BK: That was actually it for a month or two. We have a couple of one-offs here and there with some bigger artists, but we planned on taking the next couple months to re-release a limited edition of our LP Valuminium, and get into the studio and start working on some new music.  We’ve kind of started already, and we’re all really excited about what’s been coming out.  We figure, lets just hole up and focus while the momentum and the ideas are there.

 

 

BK: I guess a little of both.  We self-released the album with no press, talk, buzz, or even anybody even knowing who the band was.  Now since people have been finding out about us through our shows, and our fans have taken it upon themselves to really spread our music around.  We want to re-release the record, make it more available for people and new music fans, and give it a visual makeover, and maybe add a couple bonus tracks.  A great up and coming artist Jimmy Ovadia painted portraits based on each song on the record, and they are really amazing!  It’s interesting to see how two different worlds of art can tell the same story.  One lyrically and musically, and the other visually.  I was blown away by some of his interpretations of the songs through his art, and we really want to share the two together to our existing fans, and new fans who find us. On the other hand, I don’t feel pressured to have to put out a new record, as much as, I love writing, and love to get music out while it’s fresh, and we’re still excited about it, so I don’t think we’ll wait too long to release more music.

 

LK: It’s obvious after listening to your music that you’ve been influenced by The Beatles, but is there a particular band out there that you have an affinity for or feel influenced by that’s not obvious upon first listen?

BK: I say it a lot in interviews, but Leon Russell. He’s lyrically and musically my hero, and I love the guitar playing of one of his many proteges Freddie King.  There are many more, but too many to mention.  These particular two don’t get their fair share of shout-outs.

 

 

BK: That’s tough. I have a lot of respect for Arcade Fire and their music.  It seems very sincere and uncontrived…I would love to convey that freedom and honesty in our music, just as well they seem too.

 

 

The Nervous Wreckords‘ latest album Valuminum is now available on iTunes. along with their EP The Nailbiter. For more information on their upcoming tour dates, please visit their Facebook and Myspace pages.