The Word Is N*E*R*D*

I interviewed Shae Hayley from supergroup NERD the other day. It's surreal. Here I am, on the dole and kicking back at home interveiwing international glitterati. Anyway, this isn't the full transcript. I'll probably publish the full thing in my next zine. Keep an eye out.

Did you go to school with Pharrell and Chad?

Naw, me and Pharrell went to school together. Actually, Pharrell and Chad went to school together too. They went to middle school together. Me and Pharrell went to high school together. They went to a magnaschool. A school for gifted and artistic kids.

What’s your role in the band?

Vocalist slash writer.

What song off Fly or Die did you have the most trouble completing?

‘Preservation,’ the song after ‘Drill Sergeant.’

Ah, that’s one of the hidden tracks on the album. Why hide them?

We wanted a total of twelve songs, man. We wanted to make it short and sweet. Not only that, we love to give people and our fans more for their money. Ordinarily, you’re like, “shit. Only twelve songs?” Sometimes. But then you’re looking through the record and you find, like, four hidden songs and you’re like “Oh shit!” Then you wander, “Yo, what’s the name of this song?” I had a couple of people come up to me and they were like “Yo, there was a song that I heard, but every time I go to that number it won’t play.” And I have to tell them there are hidden tracks on that album

What are you favourite tracks off the album?

‘The Way She Dances,’ that’s track eleven, and ‘Backseat Love.’ ‘The Way She Dance,’ I love the chord change, I love the change on the bass of the song. It’s so fucking crazy.

You’re primarily known as a studio band. How do you go playing live?

We’ve all been musicians first. Chad and Pharrell, they’re trained, classically trained. I came up hearing drums, you know. But a lot of my favourite records were done live. I’ve always been moved by live instrumentation, man.

SHAE INTERVIEWS ME ABOUT AUSTRALIA

Shae: Are there poisonous animals throughout the whole country?

Me: They are everywhere. They will attack you the moment you step off the plane.

Shae: Are you serious?

Me: Nah. In my whole life, I’ve only seen one snake. But that was one of the most venomous in the world. And I’ve seen a redback spider.

Shae: [Screams] How often do people get bit?

Me: Not very often.

Shae: Where are they at? Are they in the jungle, not in the cities?

Me: There are these funnelweb spiders. You find them in Sydney. They can bite through your fingernail.

Shae: [Screams.]

Me: You might be able to find them in a backyard. It’d be a bit strange if a snake dropped out of the ceiling while you were on stage.

Shae: [Screams high pitched]. Yo, listen man. My fear for snakes man, is honestly beyond belief. I can’t even watch TV without getting creeped out and thinking there’s something under my bed and shit.