The Abridged version:
- The Sacramento rock band Nûs thrived in the ’90s but disbanded in 1997 as members went their separate ways amid a clash of egos.
- Now they are back performing together after a series of reconciliation meetings, acknowledging that they are better people now than they were when they split.
- They have several performance dates scheduled, including a 30th anniversary gig on Nov. 15.
When Percy Howard and his band, Nûs, took the stage at Old Ironsides in Sacramento last summer, people paid attention. From the first note, their musical styles and their personalities merged into a solid sound.
It was not a performance as much as it was an expression of mutual respect. And it was decades in the making.
“Yeah, we’ve got a long history,” Howard said. “It was our first gig there in 28 years.”
“When Nûs was first started in ’95, we were signed to Sub Rosa Records out of Belgium. We went to Europe and played festivals. We did showcases in New York. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into doing this work.”
And then, in 1997, it all ended. The band split, as Howard explained, “due to the clash of young men’s egos” and because Howard “was also spending increasing amounts of time on my side project, Meridiem.”
Since then, the band raised families and advanced careers. Howard is now president and CEO of a nonprofit behavioral health consulting entity.
After nearly three decades working on separate music projects, the band is back.
Side conversations brought them together
Howard said band members “revived our friendships over a series of group and side conversations” the past 2½ years “acknowledging our affection for each other and regret for losing the musical connection, and decided to give it a go.”
The unique sound of Nûs (pronounced noose), Howard said, doesn’t neatly fit into a genre.
“People have a hard time categorizing it,” he said. “It’s progressive, but it’s not broad. It’s romantic. It’s very romantic rock music.”
The band’s name reflects who these guys are and how they see themselves.
“Nûs is a form of the masculine for ‘nude’ in French,” Howard said. “So, basically that name is meant to convey transparency, risk, vulnerability, a little sense of drama and all of those things I think are aspects of our music.”
That authenticity has matured with the band. They don’t try to defy their ages by jumping around the stage. Howard is 64. Guitarist Steve Sullivan is 67 and bassist Rich Kazanjian is 54. They now sit as they play.
Better players and better people
Howard said the guys are better players and better people than when they started.
“Life has absolutely made us better,” he said. “I think it’s made us kinder. I think it’s made us softer in the best possible way. I think it’s calmed the temperature on our ego and our ability to hear each other and collaborate deeply. Young guys in their 20s and 30s — there’s always an element of ego and competition, and that’s just not there anymore. It’s just all about the complete joy of being able to create this music and share it with other people.
“I’m way more patient. It’s just the ability to listen, to want to be helpful to my bandmates. I have a great deal more need for the support and the presence of people that I care about than I had recognized.”
Steve Sullivan explained how Howard’s philosophy shapes their sound.
“Percy abides by the musical term ‘the right note at the right time,’” he said. “This approach means ‘getting out of the way’ to make a collaborative way for the right note or musical and direction idea. Percy (indeed, all of us) approaches his musical life guided by this principle.”
As the vocalist, Howard is perceived as the front man of Nûs, but that description is a misnomer.
“This is the difference between Nûs now versus when we were young,” he said. “You get things conferred upon you because you’re the singer and you’re out front. People ask you questions, people expect you to be able to represent the aesthetics of the band. We’re very collaborative, even if I’m the voice of communicating it. We — you know, me, Steve, and Rich, for the most part — we figure this stuff out together. It’s not Percy Howard and Nûs. It’s Nûs. I happen to be the singer.”
Steve Sullivan agrees.
“Though Percy is gifted with depth, charisma and vision,” he said, “Nûs is a collection of three (Percy, Rich & Steve) visions combining into the one sound and personality of Nûs.”
Generosity of spirit grew with maturity
That personality is also evident in how Nûs sees its audience.
“We want to invite people in,” Howard said. “Don’t think of them as fans. Think of them as friends. Think of them as collaborators in a way because you feed off of their energy.”
Nûs has developed a generosity of spirit as band members have matured.
“One of the values that we’ve got is that multigenre music is a good thing. This new iteration of Nûs has a warmth to it because we’ve added elements of the blues and soul to the music. And we’ve also adopted a strategy where we’re going to do two covers at least every show. Like this last show, we did John the Revelator by Blind Willie Johnson. And we did our version and homage to Brian Wilson, God Only Knows, our version of that. In the past, we would never have done that.”
The young guy in Nûs is drummer Sean Sullivan, 42. When offstage, he uses drumming to teach leadership in schools, corporations and community organizations in California and around the country. As Steve Sullivan’s son, he grew up with the vibe of Nûs.
“I remember being 12 years old,” Sean said, “sitting in Nûs rehearsals being totally drawn into the music. I would close my eyes and be moved. Now as an adult I get to join the conversation with my own musical voice.”
Gigs planned in Bay Area and Sacramento
Sean Sullivan said the music transcends age when the musicians allow it.
“Percy is one of those musicians that is constantly digging so deep within to bring out a raw and authentic emotional energy, creating an environment where the other players can do the same; that is the type of intention and passion that touches people of all walks of life,” he said.
In September, Nûs spent several days recording new material in Oakland. They will continue to play in Sacramento and in the Bay Area.
Music is purpose
For Percy Howard and Nûs, music is purpose.
“For us, music is a spiritual thing,” he said. “It was like, the last show we did at Ironsides, it felt like going to church. I had the same feeling in my body that I get when I go to church, the connectivity, the warmth, the warmth radiating across other people, the openness that people have to each other, strangers have to each other.”
That’s where the magic is, for Nûs and for the audience.
“We want the music to be a conduit for that kind of connection and that kind of healing. Not just let’s go and sing some rock ’n’ roll songs and just entertain you. Yeah, we want to. Entertaining is absolutely fine, but connecting is better.”
Donna Apidone is a regular contributor, writing Coming of Age for Abridged.