Nerves announce new EP ‘Iarmhaireacht’ + Drop gritty new single ‘Takes A Second’

West Ireland’s most electrifying avant-punks Nerves are back at it with a vengeance. The band has just announced their second EP, ‘Iarmhaireacht,’ due out August 15, and it’s shaping up to be their most emotionally intense and sonically abrasive release yet. They’ve shared its second single, Takes A Second, a raw, slow-burn of a track that cements their place in the noise-punk vanguard.

Fresh off the heels of their 2024 EP ‘Glórach,’ Nerves have been ripping through the Irish underground with a growing legion of fans and a rep for shows that are as cathartic as they are chaotic. Now a four-piece, they’ve leveled up—more dissonant, more driven, and definitely more dangerous. Support slots for the likes of The Jesus Lizard, Maruja, and HMLTD, plus praise from Kerrang!, Hot Press, and Louder Than War for earlier single Dirty Fingers, only add fuel to the fire.

Produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band, Takes A Second is a tension-laden spiral of looped guitar static, dread-heavy electronics, and emotional rupture. It feels like the sonic version of pacing the room at 3am, spiraling just shy of collapse. According to frontman Kyle Thornton, it captures “the death knell of a romantic relationship—the acceptance that the bond now exists on borrowed time.”

This gut-punch of a track isn’t just a standalone blow—it’s a statement of intent for ‘Iarmhaireacht,’ a record that dives headfirst into themes of mental illness, substance abuse, and the harsh realities of life in rural Ireland. It’s personal, yes, but it’s also historical. The EP layers in archival samples—everything from grainy TV broadcasts to forgotten folklore—drawing sharp lines between Ireland’s past and present struggles. Thornton puts it best: “A recording from 1951 talking about how lack of jobs and emigration have left working class rural people feeling forgotten and abandoned has as much relevance in 2025 as it did then.”

That deep connection to Irish identity runs throughout the project. From the Ogham script on the EP’s cover art to the wren boys’ costuming in their visuals and the use of the Irish language in interludes, Nerves are making culture their weapon. It’s inclusive, it’s politically charged, and it’s timely—part of a wider left-leaning cultural pushback in the face of nationalist narratives.

Lyrically, Thornton draws influence from literary heavyweights like Flann O’Brien, Camus, and Beckett, folding existential weight into lyrics that read like pages from a private journal. There’s a vulnerability here that’s rare—these are not just songs, they’re stories that slowly peel back the layers with each listen.

‘Iarmhaireacht’ track list

1. Intro
2. Takes A Second
3. Dirty Fingers
4. Through My Chest
5. Iarmhar
6. Act of Contrition
7. Neifinn
8. Don’t Let Go

Crank Takes A Second, and mark your calendars for August 15. ‘Iarmhaireacht’ isn’t just an EP—it’s a reckoning.

Nerves are:

• Kyle Thornton – vocals, guitar
• Ryan Mortell – bass, backing vocals
• Eoin Keigher – guitar
• Adam Nealon – drums

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Stay tuned—this is only the beginning.