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I gotta admit, this one took me a little by surprise. I tend to have a real soft spot for folk-punk when it's done right, but the problem is, so few out there actually are. Mike andamp; The Nerve seem to be one of the rare exceptions. Where it seems so many of yesteryear's punk frontmen have been going solo and attempting to do the folk-punk thing, sometimes out of necessity, others from the wear and tear of age, Mike andamp; The Nerve (shortened from their previous moniker, Mike Llerena andamp; The Nerve) take folk by the short andamp; curlies and punk the fuck out it. 

Shaped by a local punk scene which spawned such acts as Against Me!, Hot Water Music and Less Than Jake, frontman Mike Llerena began contextualizing his influences, mixing classic rock with punk and folk with acts like The Gaslight Anthem and Frank Turner serving as constant reference points in his songwriting. If you listen closely though, you can also hear hints of Richmond punk stalwarts like Avail (Dixie era), Ann Beretta and even Alkaline Trio (the latter making its influence known on their 2018 release "Old Haunts andamp; New Horizons", an album who's meager monthly Spotify listener base should really consider sharing the heck out of. Both "Old Haunts..." and the new track have a decidedly blue-collar rock vibe with just enough punk edge to separate them from the pack that I can honestly see Mike andamp; The Nerve making a real name for themselves in the  near future. 

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Starting out playing shows and recording music under his name, Llerena has grown Mike andamp; The Nerve into a full-fledged band. He explains “The name 'The Nerve' refers to both the idea of nervous energy and having "the nerve" to go and do things that seem personally insurmountable, both of which are topics referenced in a lot of the band's lyrics.”

Like many of his peers, Llerena’s new music is inspired by the ongoing pandemic. The band’s latest single, the folk-punk tinged track "Captive Audience," takes a look at the issues we’re facing this year from all sides. “The song is about people from two different ideological perspectives experiencing the madness of 2020,” says Llerena “A global pandemic, long-term quarantine, an economy in turmoil, sociopolitical unrest and a division that appears heightened because of it.”

Along with the single, the band has released a stunning animated lyric video created by visual artist JD Pounds.

"Captive Audience" is now streaming on Spotify and all major platforms. Here's hoping there are more new tunes from these guys on the horizon. Hopefully when this pandemic eventually passes and the world returns to some semblance of normalcy, we'll get a chance to catch a live show by this Gainesville, FL quartet. Till then, headphones it is.