Bob Nanna

Bob Nanna
Background information
Born
Robert Thomas Nanna

(1975-06-14) June 14, 1975 (age 51)
OriginChicago, Illinois, United States
GenresAlternative rock, indie rock, emo
Instrumentsvocals, guitar, drums
Years active1991–present

Bob Nanna (born June 14, 1975) is an American musician best known as the singer and guitarist for the bands Braid and Hey Mercedes. Nanna also currently performs as part of the band Lifted Bells, as well as solo releases under the handle The City on Film as well as his own name.

Biography

Robert Thomas Nanna was born in Chicago, Illinois. In 1993, Nanna moved to Urbana, Illinois to attend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Inspired by post-hardcore bands such as Jawbox and Hoover, Nanna founded the band Braid soon after. During their initial run, Braid played a total of 537 shows, and toured with such bands as Jimmy Eat World and The Get Up Kids. Braid released three full-lengths, 1995's Frankie Welfare Boy Age Five, 1996's The Age of Octeen and 1998's Frame & Canvas, before breaking up in 1999. Nanna graduated from the University of Illinois in 1997 with a degree in communications and advertising, in his words, "the easiest [degree] I thought I could do with the least amount of effort."

During his tenure with Braid, Nanna was also part of the short-lived Orwell, playing post-hardcore influenced by Indian Summer and Lync. Nanna subsequently began his solo project The City on Film and formed Hey Mercedes with his Braid bandmates Todd Bell and Damon Atkinson and guitarist Mark Dawursk. From 2000 to 2005, Hey Mercedes released two full-lengths, 2001's Everynight Fire Works and 2003's Loses Control, and shared stages with such bands as the Early November, Armor for Sleep, Piebald, and Hopesfall.

Braid reformed for a reunion tour in 2004. After Hey Mercedes broke up, Nanna played in Certain People I Know, before joining Lifted Bells. In 2013 he co-founded Downwrite, a website for commissioning custom songs, with Mark Rose of the band Spitalfield.

Braid reunited in 2011, releasing the EP Closer to Close soon after, followed by their first full-length since 1998, No Coast in 2014. Hey Mercedes has also played occasional shows, including a 2016 reunion tour.

In 2020, Nanna released his first album under his own name, Celebration States, a largely acoustic album recorded in one day. Orwell released an anthology, Orwell 1995, made up largely of old recordings from that year, in 2020 on Expert Work Records. The anthology was reissued in 2025.

Influences

Nanna has cited numerous bands and artists as influences, including Gauge, Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Blake Schwarzenbach, Bob Dylan, J. Robbins, Will Oldham, and Morrissey.

Discography

with Orwell

with Friction

with Braid

with Hey Mercedes

with The City On Film

with The Sky Corvair

with Certain People I Know

with Lifted Bells

Singles and EPs

Compilations

Miscellaneous

See also

References

  1. ↑ Greenwald, Andy (2003-11-15). Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo. Macmillan. pp. 46–. ISBN 9780312308636. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 "BRAID". Reggies Chicago. July 25, 2013. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Cohen, Ian (April 6, 2018). "My Son, Have You Grown: Braid Talk Frame & Canvas 20 Years Later". Stereogum. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Cavalieri, Nate (June 16, 2004). "Blame It on Braid". The Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  5. ↑ Anderl, Tim (July 12, 2023). "Interview: Braid's Chris Broach Promises They Will 'Leave It All On Stage' During July Tour". New Noise Magazine. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Bob Nanna". Pursue the Passion. October 11, 2007. Archived from the original on March 14, 2026. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bob Nanna". University of Illinois News-Gazette. Archived from the original on August 25, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "ORWELL (members of Braid) gets a 30th anniversary repress, revisiting a fleeting moment in Chicago's post-hardcore". Idioteq. March 7, 2025. Archived from the original on January 16, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  9. ↑ Heisel, Scott (2004). "Hey Mercedes cancels pair of shows". punknews.org. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  10. ↑ Heisel, Scott (May 28, 2002). "It's the Monsters Of [indie] Rock tour!". punknews.org. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  11. ↑ Heisel, Scott (November 16, 2003). "Hey Mercedes embark on Hurry Up Offense Tour". punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Hey Mercedes plan Chicago reunion show this September". Alternative Press. June 2, 2009. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  13. ↑ Yi, Catherine (December 16, 2013). "Interview: Mark Rose and Bob Nanna of Downwrite". idobi. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  14. ↑ Galil, Leor (June 12, 2014). "Braid's Bob Nanna talks about his band's forthcoming album, No Coast". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  15. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (March 30, 2016). "Hey Mercedes are back, announce 'Everynight Fire Works' 15th anniversary reissue & tour". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Bob Nanna". Jaded in Chicago. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on June 20, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  17. ↑ Anderl, Timothy (February 19, 2025). "Orwell's 1995 Gets Physical Re-Issue Treatment". Ghettoblaster Magazine. Archived from the original on January 19, 2026.
  18. ↑ Corazza, Kevin (2010). "Braid Interview 2010". Indie Rock Reviews. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved December 7, 2025.
  19. ↑ Dietkus-Miller, Rachael (February 13, 2009). "Bob Nanna's newest band plays the Courtyard tonight". Smile Politely. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  20. ↑ Yancey, Bryne (April 27, 2010). "Bob Nanna & Lauren Lo / Into It. Over It. : split 7"". Punknews.org. Retrieved October 18, 2022.