Nerf Herder

All Music Guide:

The self-proclaimed nerd rock band Nerf Herder was formed in 1994 by singer/guitarist Parry Gripp, drummer Steve "The Cougar" Sherlock, and bassist Charlie Dennis, taking their name from an epithet in one of the many spats between Princess Leia and Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Based in Santa Barbara, CA, the trio specialized in post-grunge punk-pop full of geeky humor, similar to Weezer crossed with the nervy edge of the Descendents and the snarky pop culture obsession of the Dead Milkmen.

Nerf Herder caught a break when a demo of their song "Sorry" fell into the hands of Lagwagon singer Joey Cape, who was looking for bands to sign to his small independent My Records label. Initially approached only about including "Sorry" on a various-artists compilation, Nerf Herder ended up recording a ten-song eponymous debut for the label, with Cape co-producing. In 1996, a goofy ode to "Van Halen" became a local smash thanks to a San Francisco modern rock radio station, which helped spread the song around the country. Nerf Herder landed a major-label deal with Arista, which remastered and re-released the Nerf Herder album later that year; meanwhile, "Van Halen" became a modern rock radio success around the country. Nerf Herder next recorded the theme song to the WB TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and faded from the public eye thereafter.

When they resurfaced, it was with a new bassist, Pete Newbury (formerly of Ten Foot Pole), and a second guitarist, Dave Ehrlich; Newbury quit soon after, though, to concentrate on his job as a radiologist, and was replaced by Marko 72 for a European tour. Marko also departed quickly, and the band recorded its second album, How to Meet Girls, with Justin Fisher on bass. Completed in the summer of 1999, the record was finally released in early 2000 by the indie label Honest Don's. American Cheese next appeared in August 2002, followed by more touring with yet another new bassist, Ben Pringle. Nerf Herder temporarily called it quits the following year; however, 2005 found the three original members already reuniting to work on a new album, and IV arrived three years later.

Wikipedia:

Nerf Herder is a pop punk band from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics. They are most noted for composing the theme tune to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and for their 1997 single "Van Halen", a tribute to the band of the same name, which attracted significant radio airplay and led to their first major record deal with Arista Records.

History [edit]

Nerf Herder was formed in Santa Barbara in 1994 by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). Charlie left the band after the release of their debut self-titled album, and was replaced first by Pete Newbury, with Dave Ehrlich also joining as a second guitarist. Newbury's tenure touring with the band was short-lived, however; he was replaced in 1999 briefly by bassist Marko 72, and more permanently by Justin Fisher.

During 1999 Nerf Herder asked to be let go by Arista, (anticipating a long and slow wait until eventually being dropped) to record a new record How To Meet Girls with Honest Don's Records, a subsidiary of Fat Wreck Chords. A special EP for My Records (run by Joey Cape from Lagwagon) entitled My EP, was released in 2001, and was followed in 2002 by their album, American Cheese.

In April 2003, Nerf Herder appeared as the musical guest in the final-season Buffy episode "Empty Places" – the very last band to play at The Bronze. Their special connection to the series was further acknowledged by a bit of dialogue, as "Rock City News" played in the background:

By 2003, after the final American Cheese tour dates - during which time Ben Pringle (now of The Rentals) had replaced Fisher (who had left amicably to front his own band, Psoma) - the band disintegrated. No official split was announced, but a post by Gripp on the band's website some time afterwards detailed how most of the former band members had gone on to get normal jobs. Gripp did some work as a jingle writer, which led to his 2005 solo album For Those About To Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles and focusing on product commercialization.

In late 2005, Nerf Herder made a surprise comeback, announcing on their website that they were playing a handful of gigs with the original lineup of Parry, Charlie and Steve. For Parry's May 7, 2007 review of the day, he announced that the original lineup had finally finished recording their 4th album, which did not have a title at that time. Parry stated that he wanted the title to be Brownerton, but that idea was shot down. Parry also stated that of the 13 songs recorded, they would probably pick 10 to be on the album. In June 2007, the band decided on the title Nerf Herder IV, and the album was released through Oglio Records on April 29, 2008. Pringle returned, and Former Size 14 singer Linus of Hollywood joined the live band (playing guitar and keyboard) in early 2008 for a series of West Coast shows and a short tour of Japan.

As of 2013, Nerf Herder has begun work on a new album.

Origin of band name [edit]

The band takes their name from a Star Wars reference — a "nerf herder" is a fictional occupation referred to by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, when she insults Han Solo (Harrison Ford) for arrogantly asserting that she has romantic feelings for him: "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!" (Nerf is a domesticated bison-like quadruped in the Star Wars franchise, bred mainly as fatstock).

Members [edit]

Areas of lighter color symbolize periods of inactivity.