After the seismic impact of their 2024 EP Glórach, West Ireland’s uncompromising noise-punk outfit Nerves are back—and they’ve brought even more fire. Their latest single, “Dirty Fingers,” is a jagged, visceral explosion of industrial-punk fury that pushes their sound to its most extreme and exhilarating edge yet.
Teaming up once again with Daniel Fox of Gilla Band—a frequent collaborator and master of gritty sonic texture—Nerves have crafted a track that doesn’t just push boundaries, it obliterates them. “Dirty Fingers” blends the mechanical precision of industrial with the anarchic chaos of punk, creating a soundscape that feels both surgically exact and constantly on the verge of collapse.
From the opening seconds, the listener is thrown into a whirlwind of blistering rhythms, saw-toothed guitar lines, and raw, vulnerable vocals. This isn’t noise for noise’s sake—it’s carefully orchestrated chaos. Beneath the distorted layers, there’s intent. There’s emotion. There’s a band not just leaning into discomfort, but weaponizing it.
Frontman Kyle Thornton describes the track as an exercise in cathartic intensity.
“With ‘Dirty Fingers’ we wanted to come out of the gates with something that was fast, intense and sonically overwhelming,” he explains. “Our first EP felt like we’d finally found our voice—and this next chapter is us amplifying every aspect of that. ‘Dirty Fingers’ takes the abrasive, danceable, industrial side of our sound and pushes it to its extreme.”
That extremity is evident in the song’s structure as well. Beginning with nothing but vocals, the track feels exposed from the start—a bold, almost confrontational move that Thornton admits took him out of his comfort zone.
“Starting with just vocals freaked me out,” he confesses. “Which is exactly why I knew we had to do it.”
It’s this kind of instinctive risk-taking that’s propelling Nerves into bold new sonic territory. The result is a sound that feels lived-in and volatile, like machinery threatening to overheat but held together by sheer force of will.
The release of “Dirty Fingers” is accompanied by a gritty, visceral video that captures the tension and aggression of the track visually. It’s not a music video in the traditional sense—it’s more like a fever dream set to the sound of a breakdown. Disjointed, manic, and gripping, it complements the music perfectly.
Beyond the studio, Nerves have been making their name on the live circuit with performances that are nothing short of feral. From incendiary festival slots at Electric Picnic and Other Voices, to sharing the stage with the likes of The Jesus Lizard and Maruja, their live shows are as much an experience as they are a performance—blurring the line between spectacle and release.
And this is only the beginning. The band promises a steady stream of new material throughout 2025, along with a string of live dates that will likely see their chaotic energy reaching even more uncharted levels.
With Dirty Fingers, Nerves aren’t just making noise—they’re making a statement. A statement that says they’re here to dismantle comfort, distort expectations, and create something ferociously alive in the process.
Brace yourself. Nerves are just getting warmed up.
