Nrvs return with “Free”: a punk lament reborn

The ever-elusive Nrvs are back, and this time they’ve resurfaced with Free, a track described by the band themselves as “just a dumb song about heartbreak.” Yet beneath the irreverent exterior lies a song that grapples with freedom, confinement, and the peculiar numbness of post-breakup life. Originally played in grimy basement shows under their early moniker Trojan Whores, Free has evolved over years, eventually landing as the closing track on episode nine of Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much.

Produced by Luis Felber (Attawalpa) and Matt Allchin (Florence & The Machine, SOAK, Mark Ronson) at South London’s Off License Studios, Free is the latest glimpse of an album that promises both introspection and punk rebellion. Founding member Ten Pence’s time behind bars informs a broader philosophical lens: “There are jails everywhere. We’re sort of all in jail all the time… Some constraints are awful and should be resisted. Some can’t be resisted—or are actually kind of helpful,” he reflects.

The song’s journey mirrors the band’s trajectory: from chaotic live shows to meticulous studio reinvention. “We’ve done more reboots of this song than fu*king Spiderman,” Ten Pence laughs. The track, once a raw punk lament, is now reimagined—a meditation on heartbreak, liberty, and the tension between chaos and control.

Q1: “Free has been described as ‘just a dumb song about heartbreak,’ but there’s clearly more going on. What’s the real emotional engine behind the track?

”Ten Pence: Lol, that was me that described it that way! But you do feel dumb when you get dumped. Free was written after I ended a relationship, so it’s about that weird numbing pain—though I’ve since had the boot on the other foot, which is worse. There’s also a play between being ‘free’ as in single-and-fancy-free and ‘free’ as in not-in-jail. All of that is in there.

Q2: “You’ve said, ‘There are jails everywhere.’ How did your time inside reshape your view of freedom?

”Ten Pence: Being behind bars was eye-opening. Physical constraints weren’t the hardest part—everyday life has its invisible jail cells: economics, bureaucracy, expectations. That tension seeps into the new music—there’s a cold, calm fury there, and a song on the album tries to capture that. Being out of literal jail is way better, obviously.

Q3: “The track has gone from grimy basements to a Lena Dunham Netflix feature. How does this version differ from its punk beginnings?

”Ten Pence: We’ve grown up a bit, I think. It’s still punk at heart, but the song now carries the weight of experience, heartbreak, and reflection.

Q4: “You’ve never shied away from confronting the status quo. How does Free or the album continue that ethos?

”Ten Pence: Activism and music are two sides of the same coin. Planning a protest is chaotic, but the music lets you step back and see things from different angles. Some tracks on the album are introspective; others are pure rabble-rousing—and that contrast is fun to explore.

Q5: “With producers Matt Allchin and Luis Felber on board, what were you chasing sonically?

”Ten Pence: Calm before the storm—that’s what we were after, and I think we found it.

Free is both a lament and a liberation, a song about heartbreak, confinement, and reclaiming the self. It’s Nrvs at their rawest, their wittiest, and their most uncompromising—an urgent preview of what’s to come.