Some bands keep it in the family and it all turns out for the best as a result. Such is the case with Australia's entertaining punk/pop underground outfit Earth to Nigel, formed in the mid-'90s in the New South Wales town Berrigan. The whole thing started thanks to the three musically inclined brothers of the Maher family -- Nigel, who played guitar, Clinton, who both handled guitar and vocals, and Dallas, who tackled the drums. Bored with their surroundings, they hit the garage and then the stage, initially performing and recording as I Wrote the Bible before selecting their current moniker. Various singles and compilation appearances followed, most on the noted indie label Blackbean and Placenta, who put out its album-length debut, So You Wanna Be a Spy?, in 1998. Clinton played bass on that album, while later that year a new full-time bassist was recruited, childhood friend Daniel Rennick. The band later moved to Sydney to continue playing and gigging while seeing what else the future would end up bringing to them. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi
