You know Brian Karscig, even if not by name.
He's the guy in Louis XIV who co-writes their tunes, lends high-pitched vocals to the mix and studiously shreds the six-string. He's also the one who decided to call the whole shebang quits in 2009 -- only to reunite three years later for a short time, and then again most recently at the 2015 San Diego Music Awards on Oct. 5. And oh yea, lest we forget: If you were at the Killers' Sept. 19 Observatory North Park show, you also saw Karscig join the band onstage for a cover of Louis XIV's big hit, "Finding Out True Love Is Blind."
So yea, you know him. In his time apart from Louis XIV, Karscig formed the Nervous Wreckords -- a local quasi-supergroup with a rotating lineup of musicians in other bands, with Karscig at the center, writing and recording albums with whatever musical buddies are around. The latest result? His third record entitled "The Nervous Wreckords: Part I" EP -- which is now streaming and hitting the masses right about now (Friday, Nov. 6).
After nearly three years since the band's sophomore album "Let Them All Talk" dropped, the jack-of-all-trades singer/songwriter told us the time just seemed right to drop a new album -- even if it's actually going to be split up in two parts.
"I've been working on [the EP] probably six months. About a year ago, I moved into a new place in La Mesa, and it was a perfect spot for a home studio. My old place had a home studio where I did the last two records. I started on this, and I actually have 11 songs done, but in the nature of being late in the year and releasing a full-length for the first time since 2013, I didn't necessarily want it to come out and by the time anyone starts hearing it it'd be next year. So I'm putting it out in two parts, one and two, with the second part coming out probably February next year."
Almost always involved with musical projects around town (having produced albums by bands like the Silent Comedy, Transfer, New Mexico, Anya Marina, Republic of Letters and Subsurfer, among others), the frontman explained that his own music takes priority at the moment.
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"I put [music] out when I feel like I have something to say -- if something big happens in my life. These five [songs] just kind of seemed to go to the same party. It's always hard to pick just five. I don't even know how many song ideas I have. These just all kind of felt like they belonged together. They were written at the same time. It was an interesting year -- a lot of ups and downs -- and these songs were written in that package of time."
While no doubt Nervous Wreckords/Louis XIV fans will enjoy the new EP (which features appearances by local in-demand drummer Jake Najor; and the Killers' Dave Keuning and Mark Stoermer), it also gives Karscig a certain kind of perspective on his own life, since the songwriting material hits very close to home.
"I like making music like people like getting tattoos: It's like looking at that dragon on your arm and being like, 'Oh, it was 2001, and I was living at the beach.' It brings you back, like a photo album but in song. And this was just good timing, you know -- it felt right to be the Nervous Wreckord."
Listen to "The Nervous Wreckord: Part I" in full below for a limited time.
