Earth to Nigel

ORIGINS: Berrigan / Penrith, NSW
GENRE: Indie
YEARS ACTIVE: 1995-2007

 

MEMBERS:

• Clinton Maher - Vocals, Guitar
• Nigel Maher - Guitar
• Dallas Maher - Drums
• Daniel Rennick (1998-2001) - Bass 
• Luke Bartolo (2001-2004) - Bass 

RELEASES:

• Demo (1996) [as I Wrote The Bible]
• 1. Finders Keepers
• 2. Goliath
• 3. 0055
• 4. Perfect Girl
• 5. Walk Before
• 6. Weiter Und Weiter

• Goliath (1996)
• 1. Goliath
• 2. Perfect Girl
• 3. Weiter Und Weiter

• So You Wanna Be a Spy? (1999) - Download Here.
• 1. LCD
• 2. Three Kinds of Music
• 3. Home Shopper
• 4. Not What You Say
• 5. Walk Before
• 6. Make-Up and Movies
• 7. The Great Division of Knowledge
• 8. Goliath
• 9. Bad Teenage Poetry
• 10. A Day on the Set
• 11. Friend of a Friend
• 12. Able to Leave

• Run and Jump (2001) - Download Here.
• 1. Window Seat
• 2. High Rise
• 3. Scream It
• 4. Penfriend
• 5. Bargain Bin
• 6. Bang! Went the Car
• 7. Perfect Girl
• 8. Rainy Day
• 9. If Ya Wanna
• 10. Here's To the Kids
• 11. Overwhelming
• 12. Tearjerker
• 13. Letterbomb
• 14. (I Hate Yr) Radio Station
• 15. Commando Lane
• 16. Good But Not Great
• 17. Second Hand Chair
• 18. Japanimation
• 19. Who's He
• 20. Weiter Und Weiter
• 21. Put On a Show
• 22. The Perfect Day

• Demo (2003)
• Survivor

• No More Code (2006) - Download Here.
• 1. Morse Code
• 2. Bad Blades
• 3. Past Tense
• 4. Set the Seen
• 5. At The Seam

• Unreleased / Unfinished Album (2008)

SUMMARY: Formed under the name I Wrote The Bible by the three Maher brothers in 1995 while they were teenagers, Earth to Nigel emerged from the small country town of Berrigan on the NSW/Victorian border to record a demo and play shows with some of the biggest names in Australian indie rock and punk in the late '90s (Magic Dirt, Bodyjar, Jebediah, Fur, Ricaine, Beaverloop, Spiderbait, Gerling, and Mach Pelican). They played their first show in 1996 and had a 7" released on the Californian record label Blackbean + Placenta in the same year. 

In 1998, a fourth member, Daniel Rennick, was added on bass, and the band relocated to Penrith, where they recorded two albums. Rennick departed the band shortly after their track 'I Hate Your Radio Station' began to get some airplay on Triple J and 2SER. He replaced by Luke Bartolo, who played shows and recorded demos with the band across the next two years before moving on. Earth to Nigel continued to record and work on material until winding down in the late-2000s. 

 

SHOWS: 

• Newcastle Workers Club, Newcastle - 27th August, 1999
• Selina's, Coogee Bay - 28th August, 1999
• The Metro, Sydney - 29th August, 1999
• Wollongong University, Wollongong - 30th August, 1999
• Cat and Fiddle, Balmain - 3rd December, 1999
• Penrith PCYC, Penrith - 12th December, 1999
• Planet Rock, Penrith - 28th July, 2000
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 29th September, 2000
• Britannia Hotel, Sydney - 29th December, 2000
• Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 10th February, 2001
• Bat and Ball Hotel, Surry Hills - 23rd March, 2001
• Blaxland Community Hall, Blaxland - 7th April, 2001
• Prankfest, Springwood Train Station, Springwood - 12th May, 2001
• Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 22nd September, 2001
• Channel Cafe, Penrith - 17th November, 2001
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 29th November, 2001
• Club 77, Sydney - 27th November, 2002
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 6th March, 2003
• Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 13th September, 2003
• Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 14th December, 2003

Annandale Hotel, 2003

Early zine interview, 1996

ORAL HISTORY:

WEBSITE: So You Wanne Be a Spy? was recorded in two sessions. Tracks 9-12 were recorded at the Dane Centre in Melbourne (October '97) by Greg Cleary with assistance from Stedman Watts and later mixed by Matt Hills. Tracks 1-8 were recorded at Happy Valley studios in Melbourne (July '98) by Greg Cleary. These tracks were mixed and produced at Happy Valley studios by Matt Hils and Earth to Nigel (October '98). The album was released in the USA by Blackbean + Placenta (mid '99) and in Australia (late '99). 

Earth to Nigel Website, 1999

DALLAS: Our first album was cheaply recorded and mixed over a couple of long nights, using mainly borrowed equipment - which was our only option at the time.

Dallas Maher (Drums), Obzine Issue #17, Dec 2000

Review of So You Wanna Be A Spy?, Obzine Issue #6, December 1999

NSW Tour with Spiderbait, Drum Media, August 1999

REVIEW: Now, I had heard about a band called Earth To Nigel, I had heard that they were good, and the band proceeded to prove this beyond all expectations. I guess you could call them a noisy guitar pop band. Plenty of great pop tunes showed off the band's excellent songwriting abilities. A great set including songs off their CD So You Wanna Be A Spy (which you can find at Plaza Records), and ending with a Magic Dirt cover. My advice on Earth To Nigel - see 'em if you can!

Review of Penrith PCYC show, Obzine Issue #7, January 2000

DALLAS: We got in touch with both Screamfeeder and Tumbleweed and were sending them demos for a while (we do this with a lot of our favourite bands). Their manager offered us gigs with them both, which was great. They were fun nights. Playing at Screamfeeder's album launch was a bit of an honour really. There was an abundant and receptive crowd, which is all you can ask for. And being on the same bill as Tumbleweed is a pleasure anytime, anywhere. 

Dallas Maher (Drums), Obzine Issue #17, Dec 2000

Obzine Issue 18, Feb 2001

REVIEW: Each song kicked arse in a different way, my favourites for the night being older tracks from their So You Wanna Be a Spy album like 'Three Kinds of Music' and 'LCD' and newer tracks from their as-yet-unreleased second album such as 'Bigger Than Ben lee' and 'Radio Station'... Earth to Nigel's songs are brainshakingly catchy and the band themselves were so energetic and into-it that they made the next two bands for the night look like syphilitic old pensioners playing from walking frames. Tragedy struck Earth To Nigel just before the set's end when drummer Dallas' kick pedal snapped clean in two. Thankfully someone fronted with a replacement and the band were able to go out on a high with 'Great Division of Knowledge' and a string-breakingly vigorous jam-out that they liked to call 'Goodbye'. Excellent stuff. Loved it. 

Review of Planet Rock show, Obzine Issue #14, September 2000

Obzine Issue #20, June 2001

REVIEW: Earth To Nigel, for the uneducated, are a four piece guitar-driven pop band with all the right moves. They played a whole lot of new songs from their soon-to-be-released new CD, which were awesome. Three brothers and a bass player, all singing along in parts (though Nigel had no mic) and its a sound you have to love. Older songs like 'LCD' and 'Three Kinds of Music' from their album were played, the infectious pop tunes that get you smiling and singing along. In between songs, Nigel borrowed Clinton's microphone to say random things, thanking people here and there. It looked like they were having a fun time, and the crowd definitely were, there were even a few dancers up the front! Go along and see ETN for the music, go along for the cheesy payouts, go along for the psychedelic drumkit, or just go along for because I'm telling you to. Either way, you'll love them.

Review of Britannia show, Obzine Issue #18, Feb 2001

REVIEW: An all-girl dance floor and some loud applause set this pop machine into their amazing sonic meanderings that I love so much.

Review of Blaxland Hall show, Obzine Issue #20, June 2001

REVIEW: It was a very energetic performance and they seemed to be having fun, and so did a couple of punters at the front dancing away to the music. If you haven't heard Earth To Nigel, you should have 'cause they're on the Obzine comp CD. I guess I would say, think of Tumbleweed but slightly more upbeat, mixed with a touch of Spiderbait and a dash of Magic Dirt guitars.

Review of Blaxland Hall show, Obzine Issue #23, October 2001

Review of compilation track, Pee Zine #18, 2001

Obzine Issue #24, November 2001

REVIEW: Bassists Daniel seemed to enjoy having a microphone in front of him, with perhaps too many comments made throughout the set. When drummer Dallas was hit by a leg cramp, Daniel took the opportunity to start telling a story, but thankfully singer/guitarist Clinton saved the crowd by doing a solo version of one of the quieter songs from their first album. Daniel wasn't swayed by this though and stood out with his legs astride bass playing and amazing energy. However, the band's set was cut short by about a song due to the aforementioned leg cramp and they ended with their noise-making jam called 'Goodbye'. They rocked out and I enjoyed it.

Review of Excelsior show, Obzine Issue #24, Nov 2001

NIGEL: Daniel changed jobs and he actually home to Berrigan for a month and a bit. He wasn't sure if he was gonna stay in Sydney for a while.

Nigel, Obzine Issue #24, Nov 2001

Obzine Issue #25, February 2002

DALLAS: The main different between the two albums comes down to variation in style and production. Having the luxury of a home recording set-up has enabled us to take more time with both our ideas and sounds, getting instrument and vocals sounds which suit and are unique to each tune. 

Dallas Maher (Drums), Obzine Issue #17, Dec 2000

NIGEL: On the new album some of the songs are really really old, like older than the first album - two or three are off the first demo we ever did in '96. This albums kind of alike a compilation - some of it was recorded in '99, some only a couple of months ago. It was a big effort to try and make it all sound similar and that's why it took so long. Learning how to use the 8-track, buying mics and stands, getting a place that we could record in all the time. Now it's all there. It goes from ultra heavy to acoustic to keyboard pop or whatever. It's 22 songs... we could have cut it in half and done it in three months but we just had so many songs. We wanna sell it dirt cheap and have tonnes and tonnes of songs on it. It's called Run and Jump... it's just elation, like you're really happy, and you're running and jumping. It's just like a sporty video gamey type thing. All the artwork's pretty video gamey. Actually, that's the real reason the album took so long. Seriously, if we didn't play so many video games it would have been heaps quicker. When we started out we hocked our Sega system, back when it was still worth something, so we could buy drumkit. Now I'm at Cashies I could get a Sega again and have been buying back all those games again.

Nigel, Obzine Issue #24, Nov 2001

Review of Run and Jump, Obzine #25, 2002

The Channel Cafe, Penrith

LUKE: I was a huge fan of the band and would go visit Nigel at his buyer's desk in Cash Converters. He'd tell me stories of Penrith characters who'd try and sell him stolen or bizarre goods. I loved So You Wanna Be A Spy and I really wanted to Earth To Nigel to play an All Ages show at the Channel Cafe but they no longer had a bassplayer at that point. I offered (haha, begged!) them to let me jump on the bass for the show and Nigel showed me how to play a bunch of the songs. After that he asked me to stay on and I did a couple of years in the band. Dallas had recorded the EP for my other band, The Shenanigans, and Clinton became my housemate for about six months. 

Luke Bartolo (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

LUKE: I played in the band for a handful of cool shows with bands such as Peabody and Screamfeeder but most of the time was spent songwriting and recording some rough demos. Eventually things wound down and I went off to do other stuff. I saw that the Maher brothers later did a video clip for the song 'Bad Blades', which was filmed in the garage/home studio under their parents' house. Earth To Nigel finished how it first began - three brothers creating great music at home.

Luke Bartolo (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2026

RELATED BANDS: Break to Broken, The Shenanigans, Skuzz, The New Justice Team, Dirty Santa, The Bernie Lomax 5, Circle of Gin, Uncle John, Fur Brain

At Lewers Gallery, Emu Plains