Australian DJ duo, NERVO, prove they’re still as talented as ever with their brand-new vocal house track, Sober.
The new release is an uplifting single brimmed with electro synths and danceable rhythms, topped by powerful female vocals from the girls themselves.
NERVO stated:
“We wanted to make a record that worked on the dance floor for the summer but also had some lyrical substance. We’ve had all those SOBERing moments when you realise a relationship isn’t what you thought it was and this is what this song is about. It’s a melancholy summer song. Hopefully people will be able to relate while having a dance at the same time.”
The ladies – consisting of twin sisters, Olivia and Miriam Nervo– are a singing, songwriting, DJ and production twosome, who shot to fame in 2009 when they co-wrote David Guetta and Kelly Rowland’s huge hit, When Love Takes Over.
After a year-long hiatus and the pair both becoming mothers, Sober, begins emotive by utilising subtle melodic elements and dominant guitar chords, exceeded by lyrics indicating the consciousness you gain during a breakup.
The instrumentation reaches a drop that demands to be danced to and establishes the impact it will have on the official charts this summer.
Not only have they worked with the likes of Afrojack, Kylie Minogue and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, but their collaboration with fellow musical duo, Sofi Tukker, on Best Friend was also picked up to become the official iPhone X campaign launch track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6pHex-KCo
We caught up with the girls to chat about their latest single, Sober, becoming mothers and what it’s like to work with your sister 24/7!
Hey girls! Tell us all about you.
We had a great end to the year – we went to Africa, Mexico, Hawaii and Asia, all on tour and managed to squeeze in a few short breaks. Then, we announced to the world we were both pregnant so have taken some time off this year to take care of our beautiful baby girls. Motherhood has been a real honour and is honestly so great and very rewarding! We have also released some new music including our new single, Sober, and we shot a music video that will be released this week! We have caught up on studio work during our time off touring, to deliver loads of new music in 2019 and are super psyched about going back on tour in June. Always heaps going on in NERVO land!
Speaking of your latest song, Sober, is sounding like a hit! What’s the track about?
We wanted to make a tune that had some lyrical substance but people could still dance to. It’s a break-up tune focusing on that sobering moment where you realize the relationship isn’t what you thought it was…
We know you are twin sisters. What’s it like working with your sister 24/7?
It all depends on if we are on tour, in the studio, or taking some time off. Our tour days feature a lot of airports and emails. Our studio days are just that – studio; no phones, no makeup, no Instagram, no emails. We have to focus to get anything done because studio days are so hard to come by. We honestly love what we do so most of the time we hardly feel like we are working. It’s intense to work so close with your sister because we are of course best friends, we are business partners, we are each other’s sounding board, we are each other’s biggest supporters but also probably each other’s harshest critic. One thing is for sure and that is that we wouldn’t be where we are today without each other! We squabble at times but there is an underlining honesty and respect that we have for each other which ultimately has been the best teamwork we have ever experienced. If you have a family member who you can share the road with then we suggest you go for it! This business is super tough so having a partner you can trust is priceless. Each day for us – as sisters – is another amazing day and memory we get to live together.
So, was it always music or did either of you have other ideas?
It wasn’t like we knew we wanted to be DJs, but we knew we wanted to make music from a very early age. Music was always central to our being and the only thing that came naturally; we loved it. We played piano and sang from a very early age. We wrote our first song when we were around 14 years old and we didn’t realise we were writing songs, we were more just having fun at the piano and wanted to get out of practicing scales. As far as our introduction to electronic music goes, it was probably when we went to our first music festival – The Big Day Out, where we saw The Prodigy; that was a life-changing experience. We were super inspired by the sounds, the scene, everything really. It never occurred to us to go solo as we always enjoyed working together. We don’t think we would be where we are today if we had gone solo. Two heads are better than one, hey!
You shot to fame after co-writing David Guetta’s and Kelly Rowland’s ‘Love Takes Over’. What was it like working with them?
We learned so much from both David and Kelly. David has given us so much advice personally and professionally over the years, which we are so grateful for. David and Kelly’s discipline and work ethic are second to none, so it was a huge honour to have had the opportunity to experience it first-hand.
Do you girls have a favourite artist/producer to work with?
Everyone we have worked with has been truly amazing! On our first album, we worked with some severe talents like Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Nicky Romero, Kreayshawn and more. We would have to say one of our favourite and most fun projects was getting to work with Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears and Niles Rodgers on, The Other Boys, because everyone was so super chill to work with!
What’s your top 3 guilty pleasure songs that nobody may think you listen to?
We grew up listing to the Gypsy Kings, Beach Boys and The Beatles so any of their top hits remind us of being with our family in the kitchen and all cooking together. Happy, happy memories!
You’ve performed at MAJOR festivals around the world. What’s your favourite one to play at?
The Latin countries are a lot of fun to play because they party so hard, there are later curfews and they don’t always need lyrics to sing to. There’s definitely a joy of dancing or living that Latin people possess. We have also become really connected to the places that support us with our residencies like Ibiza, Las Vegas and Miami. As far as a festival is concerned we get really excited to host our own stage at Tomorrowland and playing main stage there is also a big rush!
As well as Tomorrowland, can we expect to see you at any festivals or shows this year? ?
Yes, we are starting touring again in late June / early July and will be doing all the big European festivals this year. We even have our own NERVO Nation stage at Tomorrowland this year, as well as playing the main stage so super excited about that! We are also starting our 2019 Vegas residency in July back at Omnia and Hakkasan, have an Atlantic City residency at Borgata, and will see you on a dancefloor soon this summer!
Any more collaborations coming up?
Yes! New music and new collabs! You can expect to hear some great stuff from NERVO with Tinie Tempah, The Knocks, Paris Hilton and Krewella soon!
Do you have any goals to meet by 2020 (personal or career-wise)?
We have quite a few upcoming releases that we were working very hard on so right now all our energy is going into that. We take this time of year to work on new music and have been developing a few ideas that we’re super psyched about so our goal is to finish them in the next couple of months to get you some brand-new music out as early as June. We have our residencies in Ibiza and Vegas and we’re loving throwing our NERVO Nation parties around the world, which will definitely carry over into next year, along with a whole lot of festivals which we’re super stoked about all summer long. On a personal level, we have toured some amazing places around the world and are still visiting places we have never been before. We are now both mother’s which will also be a big new adventure everyday juggling work and family. The gigs are great too and we will keep touring heavily! Of course, it would be nice to win a Grammy, have 10 number 1’s, but all in all, we’re having a great time and feel very lucky to do music for a living and continue that run into 2020 and beyond!