Review Fix Exclusive: The Nursery’s Alex Pulec Talks Origin In Music And More

Review Fix chats with The Nursery’s Alex Pulec, who discusses the band’s origin, goals and new single, “Radium Girls.”

Review Fix: How did you get involved in music?

Alex Pulec: I guess it all started when I started working at KOPS Records when I was in my late teens. Before that I had high school bands and wrote/recorded music at home with a double cassette karaoke machine and jammed a lot with my friends. Once I began working at the record store and started playing shows in the city venues and meeting people that’s what essentially connected me to Toronto’s independent alternative and punk scene. Of course I was inspired by the current local scene at the time, but I was much more fascinated with learning about the city’s original alternative music scene that kicked off around 1977-’78 which is covered in the Last Pogo documentary. I was eventually lucky enough to meet and be mentored by people like Tony Malone of Drastic Measures, promoter Gary Topp and Bruce Moser from Buffalo. They were all my biggest early supporters and harshest critics. 

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

Pulec: Lately I have been starting with lyrics. Usually a couple lines that really convey what I want to express. Then craft music that best suits the mood that it could or should be. Sometimes I get lost in all the different ways you do with a song or a musical idea, but then the rest of the band and my producer help shape it, put their mark on it and guide it towards the finish line. 

Review Fix: What inspires you?

Pulec: Humanity and our bizarre tendencies. But usually it’s simply the need to create. I just HAVE to get the sounds out of my head sometimes. Riffs, melodies or grooves literally haunt me. They keep me up at night. The catharsis or releasing it really is a necessary factor. If I don’t create for a long time or get inspired, I get really depressed. Regardless of what the work turns into, It’s my medicine to stay in the game. 

Review Fix: What does music mean to you?

Pulec: Music is just the best damn thing in the world, period. It really does have more power than any other art form. I’ll debate that with anyone. Yes even movies! What else have we created that can unify people beyond languages, raise the hair on the back of our necks, make us feel love, communicate what we can’t, comfort us when we’re lonely, make us cry, inspire us, energize us or uncontrollably move our bodies and dance. 

Review Fix: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you?

Pulec: A theatrical mix of rock and roll, electro punk and some hip hop. Lots of energy, melody and weirdness. 

Review Fix: How are your live shows different from your studio work?

Pulec: The studio tends to have a precise and structured take to our music. Thoughtfully placed sounds, takes, lengths etc. Live is where things really light up. The songs always end up more wild and raw. We’ll extend sections, change lyrics, throw in insane drum fills, guitar feedback, just try to vibe off the energy of the room ya know? When it’s one of those great shows where the crowd is just vibing and going mental it reflects in our performance and we tend to absorb that energy and throw it back tenfold. Those are always the best shows. Impossible to feel that with live streams these days. 

Review Fix: What inspired your latest single?

Pulec: Romanticizing the darker parts of humanity mainly. The world has been a pretty dangerous place but we seem to fall more and more in love with what hurts us. However, I think these are moments and experiences that make us better people, as long as we notice. 

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of 2020?

Pulec: Finding new ways to perform for our fans to keep things fresh and exciting. Live-streaming concerts is a challenge but we have some ideas about creating a variety show that mixes music performance, guest interviews, and skits. 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Pulec: Deciding when it’s best to drop our full length album Candy + Gloom. We might put out another single leading up to it, or maybe not. Just feeling it out right now. 

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add? 

Pulec: Thank you so much for helping us have a voice and platform to share what we do. Infinite thanks to you and all our fans for always sticking with us!