Nailbighter (sic)

The Nervous Wreckords — founded by former Louis XIV front man Brian Karscig and Anthony Saffery of the U.K. band Cornershop — have just returned from their first U.S. tour opening for the Killers and an appearance at the CMJ music showcase in NYC. “We’re still kind of working on establishing who we are as a band,” says Karscig.

Many were surprised at the sudden breakup of Louis XIV, which garnered innumerable articles and toured the world. “Taking a step away from a band I’ve been in to do something new, when you’ve been working with the same group of friends for a long time, is a pretty scary thing to do. Mix in some debt collectors, relationships, and people and pets close to me passing. When you’re used to a life of certain people and amenities close to you, then they’re gone, it’s easy to get inside your head, crawl into a corner, and stress out.”

The release party for the band’s debut five-track Nailbighter EP is Wednesday, December 9, at the Casbah. “With only 12 shows under our belt,” says Karscig, “you can expect spontaneity, unplanned moments of genius and disaster, and probably a wrong note every now and then. But it’s real, uninhibited, and still raw and loud, which I think is a good thing to keep.”

The current Nervous Wreckords lineup also includes guitarist Lindsay Matheson (Roses on Her Grave), drummer Andy Ridley (Louis XIV, Silent Comedy, Fono), and bassist Shaun Cornell (Louis XIV, Transfer, Dirty Sweet). “We usually fill in the gaps with different talented friends to complete the live show,” says Karscig. Others who’ve played and/or performed with the group include Mark Maigaard (Louis XIV), Ray Suen and Mark Stoermer (the Killers), Steve Smith (Dirty Vegas), Maren Parusel (Wild Weekend), and Matt Molarius (Transfer).

The band heads off soon for a European tour, where Karscig says he’ll be more careful than previous trips overseas. “One of my first shows in Germany — I think it was Cologne — I thanked the crowd for being responsible for Heineken, and there was a slew of boos.” Heineken is made in the Netherlands.

“The thing is, I don’t even really like Heineken. I’ve kind of always been a fine-wine guy.”