It’s 4pm on a Thursday. We’re sitting out of doors at The Starman, a David Bowie-themed watering hollow in central London, tucked clear of the buying groceries baggage and vacationer streams of Regent Boulevard. It’s a fab spot, for an ostensibly cool band. Around the desk, Bobby Chook – sunglasses off, shandy in hand – is expounding on a subject matter with reference to his middle.
“The general public are afraid to be tacky, you recognize?” the Unhealthy Nerves frontman exclaims between swigs. “However tacky melodies, if you happen to package deal them proper, they’re the most productive ones since you take into account them. There’s a variety of bands now that I truly like, they’ve a pleasing vibe, however I don’t take into account the songs. I love having one thing caught in my head. It’s like, how catchy are you able to move, earlier than it turns into nearly hectic?”
The 35-year-old doesn’t fuck round with songs. His band have a scrappy aesthetic, however at middle it’s on-point energy pop; amusing but smooth, fizzing with the intoxication of affection, lust and residing. And maximum of it is available in two-minute applications, even if their 2nd album Nonetheless Anxious has some longer moments.
In recent times Unhealthy Nerves have loved any such sizzling streak nailed by way of few rock bands at the present time. Corey Taylor is a fan. Radio 1 are lovers. Billie Joe Armstrong known as them “the most productive new band in England presently”. Previously six months they picked up just about each and every fascinating improve slot going, together with The Hives, The Struts, Royal Blood, Not anything However Thieves, The Darkness on their Permission To Land excursion, and Weapons N’ Roses in Hyde Park. They performed just about each and every town in the United Kingdom, theatres throughout The us, enormodomes in Europe, gala’s left proper and centre.
“It’s no longer an enviable existence for our girlfriends,” Chook says, guffawing nervously, “as a result of we’re no longer there, ever. We were given house December 23. Me and Mike, our manufacturer, went directly from the excursion bus to the studio, had Christmas Day without work, the following day I went to his and didn’t go away till January 28… After which we went on excursion for any other month.”
Phase pop junkie, phase punk rocker, Chook is pleasant corporate, extra chatty Essex boy than aloof London hipster in his black coat, earrings and ‘Hellraiser’ T-shirt (the latter nicked from his female friend). To not point out fresh-faced for any person who’s been traveling solidly since September 2023.
Our location as of late feels becoming. Again house in Colchester, Chook grew up paying attention to his father’s Bowie data within the automobile on faculty. As a young person he fell in love with the fiery heaviness of Slipknot. Nirvana’s Smells Like Teenager Spirit made him need to play drums. All of the whilst, pop track – from The Beatles to Andrew Lloyd Webber – used to be by no means some distance away.
“My mum’s a secondary-school track trainer, and I used to visit a variety of musicals along with her,” he enthuses, “Starlight Categorical, they all. I’ve noticed Les Mis about 5 occasions within the West Finish.”
After more than a few doomed steel and indie bands, Chook determined to bottle this adolescent vitamin of sugar and spittle. Joined by way of guitarists Will Phillipson and George Berry, drummer Sam Thompson and bassist Jon Poulton (all from different Essex and East London bands) round 2016, he ditched the drums and took up making a song. They clicked over pop and punk stars like Ramones and The Conflict, The Beatles and early Supergrass.
Mainly it’s the punk aspect that shines via their ‘branding’. It provides them an edge, an attract. Other people need to put on their T-shirts in addition to binge on their songs. Till not too long ago this got here with a quick, livid however necessarily wordless level display. All that modified when Chook watched The Hives’ Pelle Almvqvist and The Darkness’ Justin Hawkins in motion.
“I’m staring at and considering: ‘God, that is so a lot more amusing,’” he says. “For the primary years, we’d move on level, deadpan, doing this complete critical factor. After I see bands doing that now, I see how a lot it doesn’t paintings. Other people need to connect to you.”
Impressed by way of the on-stage and off-stage habits in their headliners (a few of them getting better addicts), Unhealthy Nerves resolved to stay themselves as constantly match-fit as conceivable. They drank sparingly. All of them hand over smoking. The presentations were given higher and higher.
At first, conversely, Unhealthy Nerves have been a birthday party band. Having shaped of their twenties, they gigged in pubs. Hazes of booze and components hung over them, incessantly no longer lifting for days. The track got here 2nd, Chook admits.
“You get started partying with pals, after which in case you have an addictive character you simply need to do it by yourself. Ahead of you realize it, you’re sitting in a room for days directly. Like after we did [debut LP] Unhealthy Nerves, lots of the track movies we did, we have been fucked up. It used to be a birthday party. It used to be amusing. However then you definately get to just about thirty and move: ‘Fucking hell, what have I finished? I’ve forgotten the right way to have amusing with out it being one thing the place I will’t serve as for days after.’”
For Chook, who grew up with addicts amongst his pals and kin, it used to be all a little with reference to house. “Part my circle of relatives are alcoholics. I see what it does, and it fucks other folks up so badly. You do it with out considering. My ma and pa are fortunate, they’ve been very blank residing, however I lived with my uncle [at one point] and he used to be only a tortured soul.”
After all, lockdown compelled all of them to pay attention to track. Chook discovered himself having amusing, actual amusing, writing songs. Unhealthy Nerves launched their self-titled debut album in 2020, and accumulated waves of lovers who puzzled why extra other folks hadn’t heard those absurdly catchy, life-affirming songs. As restrictions eased, the band performed their first headline excursion. The whole thing began to head proper.
With Nonetheless Anxious now out, their gig calendar remains to be filling up. Chook goals of writing with steel bands. He’s finished video paintings for Suzi Quatro, and now for Justin Hawkins’s standard YouTube channel. Out of economic necessity, he moved again in along with his mum. He hasn’t seemed again.
“I will be able to by no means do the rest. Existence is short. You’ve were given to do what you need to do, although you must reside at your mum’s area. There’s a delight in pursuing belongings you revel in, although it’s a combat. It’s a part of the journey.” Nonetheless Anxious is out on
