The Nils
Encyclopedia
The Nils was a Canadian
power pop
and punk rock
band originating in Montreal, Quebec which produced several releases between 1978 and 1994.
The band was founded in 1978 by then 12-year old Alex Soria with his brother Carlos Soria. The band never achieved widespread fame despite critical success and a following amongst other musicians in the genre. "... but what surprises me most is how many I run into, or hear from, who say they loved the Nils or were directly influenced by them. The Goo Goo Dolls, Superchunk
, Jawbox
, Meat Puppets
, Down By Law
, Bob Mould
and many of the power-pop punk bands(too many to name), all rave about the Nils."
who asked them to record the song "Scratches and needles" for the Something to Believe In
compilation. The band broke up shortly afterward but Carlos Soria convinced his brother to keep the band going and joined the group on guitar. The Nils then recorded the song "Call of the Wild" for the Primitive Air Raid compilation on Psyche-Industry Record. The label also accepted to release the band's first EP, Sell Out Young, that they recorded in 1985 using a 3 500 $ loan they got from Men Without Hats
singer and founder Ivan Doroschuk
. Doroschuk produced the record. One year later, they released their untitled EP, which would later be known as "Paisley" on Siegfried Records.
In 1986, the Nils got an offer from Rock Hotel Records, a subsidiary of Profile Records
, and recorded their self-titled LP produced by Chris Spedding
, but in 1988 Rock Hotel went bankrupt and The Nils got into legal problems when the record label wouldn't give them their release forms. The Nils broke up again in 1994, reuniting for some shows in Montreal during the 1990s. Alex then moved to Ontario and formed the band Chino and released a solo record. In 1994 the Nils released "Green Fields in Daylight", a compilation of early recordings. On December 13, 2004, Alex Soria committed suicide.
In 2010, Real Big North Records released an album of unreleased Nils tracks, while Carlos and the other former Nils members started to jam again as the Nils.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band originating in Montreal, Quebec which produced several releases between 1978 and 1994.
The band was founded in 1978 by then 12-year old Alex Soria with his brother Carlos Soria. The band never achieved widespread fame despite critical success and a following amongst other musicians in the genre. "... but what surprises me most is how many I run into, or hear from, who say they loved the Nils or were directly influenced by them. The Goo Goo Dolls, Superchunk
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
, Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
, Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
, Down By Law
Down by Law (band)
Down by Law is a punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All frontman Dave Smalley, who is the their only permanent member. The band has recorded 7 studio albums. They stayed on Epitaph Records until 1998 and have since switched to labels. Down by Law has never achieved substantial commercial...
, Bob Mould
Bob Mould
Robert Arthur "Bob" Mould is an American musician, principally known for his work as guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for alternative rock bands Hüsker Dü in the 1980s and Sugar in the 1990s.-Early life:...
and many of the power-pop punk bands(too many to name), all rave about the Nils."
History
The Nils started in 1978 and played their first shows in 1980. They recorded a demo, which caught the attention of BYO RecordsBYO Records
BYO Records is a Los Angeles, California based independent punk rock record label created by Shawn and Mark Stern, two of the three brothers of the seminal California punk rock band Youth Brigade . BYO stands for Better Youth Organization and aims to promote punk and other alternative youth...
who asked them to record the song "Scratches and needles" for the Something to Believe In
Something to Believe In
-Track Listing:All tracks composed by Curtis Mayfield except where noted-Personnel:*Drums - Wendell Stewart*Guitar - Ross Traut, Tom Ferrone*Horns - Arthur Hoyle, Bill Porter, Dale Clevenger, Gil Askey, Lenny Druss, Paul Howard, Robert Lustrea, Sonny Seals...
compilation. The band broke up shortly afterward but Carlos Soria convinced his brother to keep the band going and joined the group on guitar. The Nils then recorded the song "Call of the Wild" for the Primitive Air Raid compilation on Psyche-Industry Record. The label also accepted to release the band's first EP, Sell Out Young, that they recorded in 1985 using a 3 500 $ loan they got from Men Without Hats
Men Without Hats
Men Without Hats is a Canadian New Wave group from Montreal, Quebec. Their music was characterized by the distinctive baritone voice of their lead singer Ivan Doroschuk as well as their elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing...
singer and founder Ivan Doroschuk
Ivan Doroschuk
Ivan Doroschuk, is an American-born Canadian musician of Ukrainian origin. He is the lead vocalist and founding member of Men Without Hats. Doroschuk was born on October 9, 1961 in the U.S. state of Illinois and at a young age he and his family moved to Canada, settling in the city of Montreal,...
. Doroschuk produced the record. One year later, they released their untitled EP, which would later be known as "Paisley" on Siegfried Records.
In 1986, the Nils got an offer from Rock Hotel Records, a subsidiary of Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
, and recorded their self-titled LP produced by Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
, but in 1988 Rock Hotel went bankrupt and The Nils got into legal problems when the record label wouldn't give them their release forms. The Nils broke up again in 1994, reuniting for some shows in Montreal during the 1990s. Alex then moved to Ontario and formed the band Chino and released a solo record. In 1994 the Nils released "Green Fields in Daylight", a compilation of early recordings. On December 13, 2004, Alex Soria committed suicide.
In 2010, Real Big North Records released an album of unreleased Nils tracks, while Carlos and the other former Nils members started to jam again as the Nils.
Band members (incomplete)
- Alex SoriaAlex SoriaAlex Soria was a rock and roll musician from Montreal. He was in the punk rock groups "The Nils" and "Chino" . Alex Soria also released a solo album "Next of Kin". Born in Montreal in 1966, Alex Soria had a rather rough childhood. Alex's mother left home on his older brother's 18th birthday. Alex...
– guitar, vocals - Carlos Soria – guitar
- Alex MacSween – drums
- Jean "Johnny" Lortie – drums
- Guy "Chico" Caron – bass
- Sanjay Mulay-Shah – guitar
- Karim Dormeyer – guitar
- Eloi Bertholet – drums
- Terry Toner – drums
- Anthony Veilleux - very early vocals
Discography
- Now 5 song Cassette (1982)
- Sell Out Young 4 song 12" EP Psyche IndustryPsyche Industry RecordsPsyche Industry Records was the leading alternative, punk and hardcore independent record label in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the beginning of the 80's...
(1985) - Paisley EP Siefried Records(1986)
- The Nils CD/LP Rock Hotel / Profile RecordsProfile RecordsProfile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
(1987) (also known as The Red EP) - Green Fields In Daylight (retrospective compilation) Mag Wheel Records (1997)
- The Title Is The Secret Song (retrospective compilation including DVD) Real Big North (2010)
Compilations
- Something to Believe In BYOBYO RecordsBYO Records is a Los Angeles, California based independent punk rock record label created by Shawn and Mark Stern, two of the three brothers of the seminal California punk rock band Youth Brigade . BYO stands for Better Youth Organization and aims to promote punk and other alternative youth...
(1983) - Primitive Air-Raid Psyche Industry (1984)
- Brave New Waves CBC RecordsCBC RecordsCBC Records is a Canadian record label, owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which distributes CBC programming, including live concert performances in album and digital format....
(1992)