A Dirty Dozen with SCOTT BUCHANAN from NERV – November 2024

According to a recent press release: “Sacramento-based active rock band Nerv returns with their highly anticipated new single, “WASTED!”, out now via SBG Records. Following up on their debut, this track continues to showcase Nerv’s powerful sound, blending dynamic guitar riffs and raw, emotive vocals. Fans can catch Nerv live at Dirty Fest on November 16th in Los Angeles, California. Nerv, is a 4-piece active rock band residing in Sacramento California. The band consists of vocalist Dillon Jones, guitarists Jordan Grokett, Scott Buchanan, and drummer Tyler Clark.” We get guitarist Scott to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our latest release, “WASTED!” is a song that has been in the works since before we were even in a band together. I wrote the instrumental a few years before the band formed and Dillon wrote the vocals shortly before our second show we played as a group! It was heavily influenced by my love of the “heavier” radio rock bands like Chevelle and 30 Seconds to Mars.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I remember going to a friends house to hangout when I was in the 7th grade. He had a guitar in his room and I remember him playing a Green Day song I knew of and it blew my mind. After that, I begged my parents for a guitar for christmas and fell in love with it very quickly! I truly never really considered music as a career, however, until much later in life. My main focus was baseball. But after getting injured just out of high school I needed another plan so I decided to try music!

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

There are so many potential answers so I’ll just name one per category to keep it simple. Specific song I would say “Numb” by Linkin Park. Album would be Ascendancy by Trivium. And Live show would be Blink 182.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Blink 182, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bring Me The Horizon, Wage War, and Chevelle.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Tom DeLonge. Aliens.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Kinda like Linkin Park but with a boy band singer! And a few people have said Dance Gavin Dance before and uhhhhhh. No. haha.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Free kisses from your band mates whenever you want them!

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Who cooks? Whoever the chef is at whatever restaurant we are doordashing from probably. Who gets the drinks? Jordan, me, Dil, Jordan and Jordan again. Who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong? I’m fairly certain we have literally never done that once but if it had to be anyone I’d say our merch guy Trevor Nasty Martin Alexander. He also drives us sometimes.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

About a year ago we saw Ron Jeremy at a bar next to The Whisky that was pretty neat.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Blimp Salesman or Professional Call of Duty player.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

Just working with / trusting the wrong people. Although I probably wouldn’t change it as we have learned so much as a band from any of those “not so perfect” situations that have allowed us to grow and mature greatly so without that we wouldn’t really be who we are today!

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Blink 182 or This is War by 30 Seconds to mars. Both albums mean a great deal to me and I still go back to them for inspiration to this day! They also both have documentaries showing parts of the process of them being recorded which Jordan and I will watch before we start writing new material for Nerv.

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Category: Interviews