It wasn’t long ago when Toronto band The Nursery released their debut EP Digital Ashes, kicking off their career with a bang and already a few awards under their belt. Now, nearly one year later, the band is returning with their follow up full album Life After Wartime, a complex record that explores numerous themes, including the experience that comes with loss, as well as our society’s obsession with technology, fame, and nostalgia.
“More than ever our lives are being integrated with technology, so the music is a bit of a reflection of that,” explained lead singer and guitarist Alex Pulec. For Pulec, much of Life After Wartime reflects a notion of letting go of nostalgia and past ties.
“[Life After Wartime is] looking forward and not looking backward. It sounds a little bit doomy and gloomy, but it really is a lot more optimistic because it’s life after wartime. It’s mostly about letting go of nostalgia and not being tied to the past, these past elements that are no longer relevant. And it’s really about being comfortable looking forward and jumping into whatever the future has in store.”
For bassist and synth player Victor Ess, Life After Wartime expresses a primitiveness that arises from feelings of finality.
“How I feel listening to Life After Wartime is this vibe of being able to find yourself and find other people and find love after basically the apocalypse, or once you think everything’s over,” said Ess.
Regardless of how The Nursery feels about their new LP, Ess and Pulec emphasize that the album’s true meaning relies on its listeners’ interpretations.
“There is a lot there for the listener to bring their own experience into it,” said Pulec.
Life After Wartime will be released on July 7, and is currently available for pre-order here. In the meantime, listen to Indie88’s exclusive premiere of Life After Wartime below.
Tour Dates:
July 29 — Adelaide Hall w/ Sports – Toronto, ON
Aug 16 — Bar Robo – Ottawa, ON
Aug 17 — Richmond Tavern – London, ON
Aug 19 — Bar Le Ritz – Montreal, QC
Aug 31 — The Piston (release party) – Toronto, ON