Fifty years after The Nerves first emerged, their music continues to inspire new generations of musicians and find new audiences around the world. Now, with Third Man Records releasing an extraordinary 29-song collection, the story of one of punk and Power Pop’s most influential bands is getting another chapter.

At the heart of this project is Cynthia Lee, daughter of Nerves frontman Jack Lee, who is bringing her father’s musical legacy back into the spotlight. From the discovery of long-lost recordings to nearly 30 years of unreleased material, there’s much more to this story than an anniversary release.

I had the privilege of speaking with Cynthia about The Nerves, her father’s songwriting, the making of this remarkable collection and the music that is still waiting to be heard.

Two weeks ago, at a gig here in Utrecht, two young DJs played a Nerves song to warm up the audience. I thanked them, and they replied, “The Nerves are one of those bands that made us want to start a band.” Why do you think your father’s songs continue to inspire new generations of musicians who weren’t even born when The Nerves existed?

Honestly I have no idea. My sense is the answer comes in two parts – one about The Nerves as a band, and the other as individual songwriters. In some ways they are distinct and in other ways related. I really do feel that The Nerves were the very beginning of a cultural zeitgeist in their time in terms of their sound and what they were doing – they were a part of creating it and bringing it about even though they were probably not aware of it at the time. Quoting Paul (Collins), “I don’t fit in”. So they made their own cultural context. People of subsequent generations and iterations, I think can relate to that – that need to make your own world. Their sound I think feels both new and fresh as well as familiar and classic at the same time. And although they always existed and they were never famous in the larger sense, I think it only adds to the mystique and makes The Nerves feel even more like a new discovery. There was also something about the urgency in which they performed, and how each member of the band brought their own songs, their own style and their own perspective that came together to make something new that I think resonates with people.

Meaning in addition to their songs and their sound standing the test of time, they were also a part of bringing about the shift in music at that time. I think people discovering them today somehow also get that feeling, even 50 years later. They practiced – as Paul would say – till they bled but there was still such a raw energy in how they played that I think they continue to inspire generations of music lovers to do the same.

They all wrote songs and each of them brought something distinct in terms of their songwriting and perspective as a narrator. And because of that they all probably raised the bar for each other on the quality of their songs. As far as my father’s songwriting, although some of it is emotionally raw and urgent – in terms of structure and technique he was highly disciplined. He loved songwriting and truly revered songs. He studied them and their structure endlessly. He was working on something he called Song Secrets decades ago – he wanted to teach others how to find melodies, structure songs, to coax a narrative in song format to tell a story. He loved working with other songwriters throughout his life. It was truly amazing how almost anyone who spent any length of time with him ended up writing something. But there has always been an element of his songs that seem like a bit of magic.

You are handling your father’s musical estate. What does that involve, and what does that responsibility mean to you personally?

Sometimes it feels like an incredible honor. Sometimes it’s overwhelming and emotional. I try to balance both and just try to keep my eye on completing each part of the project. But sometimes it just hits me out of nowhere. And it makes sense; songs are made to tell a story and evoke emotion – so even though I know that intellectually, they can break through and catch me off guard.

This new collection is an incredible document: 29 songs bringing together so much of The Nerves’ recorded history. What’s your own story of how this release came about? When did you first become aware that something this extensive was being put together?

Shortly before his passing, my dad asked me to put together a 50th anniversary record for the Nerves, and to reach out to Third Man Records and ask them to put it out. Keep in mind I have no music business connections – not much to go on other than a brief sketch of what he wanted and the dream to reach out to this prestigious indie record label. I didn’t know where to start.

For a year and a half I literally sent them Instagram messages, called any number I could find and sent random emails to anybody who might be remotely connected to the powers that be there. After almost 2 years I finally found the right one because I got an email back from Dave Buick. He asked if Peter Case and Paul Collins were on board. At the time I was in touch with Paul who had sent his condolences when my father passed but had no working number or email to Peter. Apparently the contact info I had been spamming Peter on had been defunct for years. Right around this time I found the right one and he replied. I ran the idea by both them and they were into it. Working with Third Man Records has been amazing, they are so respectful of the work and the history and so meticulous about the sound. Truly an honor to be working with them. As with Peter and Paul – I am honored to have a seat at the table with true legends. They have been both absolutely respectful about my father’s wishes and uncompromising when it comes to quality of the sound, the artwork and the entire project.

As far as the remasters and new material, as I was going through some of Jack’s cassette archives, Paul started going through his as well and he found a rehearsal tape of the early Nerves that we included. The original masters were in Jack’s belongings so I had transferred them at Penguin Recording in LA and then they were beautifully remastered by Warren de Feaver with Third Man Records in Detroit. And just as we were putting the whole thing together, this tape resurfaced from a friend of the band’s sister- her name is Marsha Perloff. She apparently had a tape recorder in her purse during a Nerves show at Starwood. And the tape had been sitting in her closet for the last 50 years. She had just found it in her belongings and so her brother reached out to us. We didn’t know if the transfer was going to be good enough quality until we had it done but then we were completely blown away. It even had an early version of one of my favorite songs my dad wrote called Any Day Now before he wrote the bridge.

And then there is Third Man Records. What did they want this release to be, and how did that shape the way The Nerves’ music is presented to a new audience nearly fifty years later?

I can’t guess as to what Third Man Records wanted this release to be – just that we couldn’t have known the bootleg and rehearsal would appear when they did, or that they even existed. I can’t help feel when you do a project like this that it can take on a life of its own. All I know is that we had a strong intention to put together something great for the fans, honor the band’s 50th Anniversary, and a bit of magic made it all come together.

And I think Third Man Records will expose the Nerves to music lovers that might never have known about them before this release. It gives me great satisfaction to be executing on one of my dad’s final wishes – maybe he sensed that as well.

Looking at what you’ve achieved with this release so far, what makes you most proud? And with the collection coming out in October, is there more to come?

In a word, YES. There is so much more to come.

Speaking of my dad’s final wishes, he entrusted me with almost 30 years of unreleased material before his passing. He wanted me to help finish the production of the songs, find an audience for them and get them out into the world. I’m trying to do just that.

Which is both a huge honor and completely overwhelming.

So as far as your question I am so grateful his music – that this Nerves release with Third Man Records – is connecting with people. I also hope through this release to connect with the people who want to hear what he wrote next. Because he never stopped writing. He literally died with a guitar at his bedside.

There are at least three albums worth of finished songs in various states of recording, and I continue to find more every day. Which makes the curation both exciting and absolutely over my ability to do. I vacillate between wanting to hold off and do my best to try to make everything perfect and wanting to dump it all on the floor and let whoever’s interested go through the remains.

It’s an honor, it’s a responsibility and it’s a huge piece of unfinished business in my life. I was there for much of Jack’s studio recordings, so I know what I’m looking for some of the time. And sometimes it’s a surprise.

Songs can be like messages passed from one person to the other. Some of these messages were passed in secret. What keeps me at this is that these songs truly need to be heard.

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