Def Nettle get back to their post-punk roots with the powerful stomper, ‘Head Wrecker’
After a year-long hiatus following the release of their debut album DN001 in February 2024, punk-funk band Def Nettle, fronted by prolific musician Glen Brady, triumphantly returned to the Irish music scene with folktronic single ‘Get Me Here’ on February 28th (remixed by renowned Dublin producer DJ Arveene).
Featuring a full band sound with heavy electronic elements, ‘Head Wrecker’ delivers a gut punch of melody and energy: Disarming, beautiful, funny, and provocative, delivered with vocalist/producer Brady’s signature tongue-in-cheek approach. Brady says, “Every artist knows where this song is coming from. There’s always that one critic who’s ready with a put down but underneath their opinion lies their own disillusionment. ‘Head Wrecker’ addresses the issue and throws it right back in your face”
Combining elements of punk, funk, Australian pub rock and indie-dance, ‘Head Wrecker’ is the first recording that features the band’s new drummer, Damien Fox, who is a perfect metronome for Ely Siegel’s fluid bass, Ronnie Carroll’s classic guitar riffs and Lisa Doyle’s renowned rap verses and backing vocals. As with previous releases, Brady’s main vocal is a unique grumble that matches his gritty production and unpredictable synth work to a T. This release also serves as the first of a trilogy of singles which will see Def Nettle return to the raw and explosive post-punk and indie edge that defined their earlier work.
One of The Irish Times’ ‘New Irish Acts To Savour’ in 2023, Def Nettle released debut album DN001 to critical acclaim, with The Irish Times writing: “Much of the record explores serious life experiences, but the approach is unexpected; sometimes elements of new wave and postpunk meet a peppering of The The and Tom Waits, and while the spectre of a certain musical period in Manchester looms at times – Joy Division on Architecture, and The Smiths on War Machine (which actually features the late Andy Rourke on bass) – it strays away from being pastiche, and brings something of a vitality to well-trodden pathways.”
Brady is a Dubliner with a twist of his childhood spent in New York and a chapter of life spent in Berlin and San Francisco, working at the top of his field in every aspect of music production and performance. He has session musician credits with the likes of R.E.M., has spent 5 years as an engineer with the California State Symphony and has toured as a member of DARK with Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and the late Dolores O’Riordan, as well as having mixed their album, Science Agrees.