Live Session: Nerve Damage – “I Know That You Don’t Like Me”

Posted: 26th March, 2018 by admin

Before putting together the New Jersey born reggae-rock outfit, Nerve Damage, Ben Carlsen played guitar in a band called Uranium Babies. Yes, Uranium Babies, and the project sounded as unapologetically punk as you might guess.  Although all the members of Nerve Damage, including bassist Nick Winship and drummer Mike Downey, draw influences from punk bands like Nirvana and NOFX, Nerve Damage has evolved into the grunge-tinged Sugar Ray of the New Brunswick local scene. The three-piece played their first basement show at the DIY house venue, the J House, and burst into the underground scene with jittery spunk.

“Keep doing your own thing because I’ll be doin’ my own thing,” Carlsen sings during the breakdown of the song, “I Know That You Don’t Like Me,” and at every show you can expect Nerve Damage to be performing an entirely different version of their own thing. Winship and Carlsen are unafraid to break the fourth wall by jumping into the crowd during sets to keep energy high and constantly shake things up. Carlsen mentioned, “I just want everyone to have a good time and I think it’s important to constantly explore new things,” and listening to the lyrics on the bluesy jammer recorded at Sounds from the House, Nerve Damage tells you through song just how important being yourself is to them and just how much they don’t care if you don’t like them.

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