By Sarah Mather
Local music fans will be disappointed to learn that Ottawa-based band Nero will be taking an indefinite break starting in the new year.
Nero, an instrumental trio that has been together since 1997, will be taking time away from the music business.
The band has been touring across Canada and the United States for the past four years, and feels it needs some time away from the business.
Their music, classified as “improvised rock,” essentially means it’s rock that is never the same twice. Some of their more popular songs include Lemondust and 410 Theme.
The band members say they need this break because they have been living on the road for four years now.
“We’ll be spending time with our families, writing new music, exploring other things, basically just not being out on the road everyday,” says guitarist Dave Lauzon.
Also, Lauzon says music at a professional level can be stressful. He says they no longer do it solely for a love for the music.
“It’s unfortunate. It starts out pure and about music and all of a sudden you’re like a small business owner,” says Lauzon.
While plans for the future are unclear, the band members say this does not mean they are permanently breaking up.
“We have no plan, just taking at least a year off and we’ll see where we are then. We don’t want to be thinking and planning,” says Lauzon.
Manager Todd Snelgrove says no one is certain what will happen after the break.
“I don’t know what will happen. Everybody is being completely honest when they say they don’t know.”
Snelgrove understands the band’s choice but says he is disappointed. He says the break is not the best idea.
“It’s going to hurt their momentum and things were going so well, the air is going to go out of these tires. But the most important thing is their lives,” says Snelgrove.
Nero has four more shows, all in Ontario, before officially breaking. The final show will be in Ottawa on New Year’s Eve at Maverick’s.
Drummer Jay McConnery says the band has prepared some “special treats” for the final show.
“We want to surprise the audience with some new tunes and some crazy covers,” he says.
Nero has cultivated a following of fans all across North America in the past seven years. They released their third album last May and have sold well over 1,000 copies already.
They say that while they need the break, they will miss working on the band.
“I love this band. It allows me to do pretty much exactly what I want to do,” says Lauzon.
McConnery says working with the band has allowed him to travel. “I have managed to go to a lot of places I wouldn’t have,” he says.
They hope this time off will help them develop some fresh ideas.
“We really need some time away to regain some more creativity. We need a change of pace,” says Lauzon.