Nerve Quakes always know how to set the mood. At the forefront of a post-punk revival on local shores, their goth-infused rhythms tell a story that encapsulates the feel of the current climate – evoking bleak feelings in confusing times.
We chatted to guitarist Caleb Merrey about their latest offering, ‘Deprogram’, ahead of their upcoming slot at ALT//FEST on Saturday, March 20.
‘Deprogram’ was written in a pre-COVID time, yet somehow fits so well into the current landscape. How does the band feel about it’s almost prophetic nature/vibe?
I don't think that it's that prophetic really. Humanity collectively is self-destructive and seems to be quite happy to march straight into the planet's sixth extinction event. It's been that way for at least 200 years. It's a comment on where we are now if people take notice of the actions of those in charge of us.
The band played the songs from this release live extensively before recording in late 2019. This also means that there was time to work on creative new things in the past year, while finalising the new album. Considering the social impacts of 2020, has newer material taken on an even bleaker focus?
The album took up a lot of energy to complete, and last year was not a good year for anybody. The subject of making new music as a band never came up.
Heather referred to Caleb in a recent interview as the ‘witch’ of the band. Definitely keen to hear the full band’s take on this.
Yes, Heather called me a witch. But it takes one to know one.
All of WA has obviously been lucky to have the ease of restrictions we are enjoying. This has brought with it a big injection back into the local live music community. How has that been felt by the band?
We only played a handful of gigs last year, so it didn't really impact us. Maybe the reduced capacity was the only thing that was different. No one was socially distancing once they got a few drinks under their belts.
Now that the album has been out for a few months, how has the meaning behind Tom Rogers’ artwork for ‘Deprogram’ settled in focus for the feel for this album?
I think Tom was working from the songs we'd sent him. There was an evolution in the sound from our first record to this one and there's a change in art style to reflect that.
ALT//FEST is on Saturday, March 20 at Badlands Bar. Tickets available now here.