Editing Nerf Herder

{{short description|American rock band}}
{{About|the band|their eponymous album|Nerf Herder (album){{!}}''Nerf Herder'' (album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Nerf Herder
| image               = Nerf_Herder_Press_Photo_2016.jpg
| landscape           = yes
| caption             = Nerf Herder in 2016<br/>(L–R) Ben Pringle (bass); [[Linus of Hollywood]] (guitar, keyboard); [[Parry Gripp]] (vocals, guitar); Steve Sherlock (drums)
| image_size          = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels -->
| background          = group_or_band
| origin              = [[Santa Barbara, California]], U.S.
| genre               = {{hlist|[[Pop punk]]|[[geek rock]]|[[alternative rock]]}}
| years_active        = {{hlist|1994–2003|2006–present}}
| label               = {{hlist|My|[[Arista Records|Arista]]|[[Honest Don's Records|Honest Don's]]|[[Oglio Records|Oglio]]|Golfshirt}}
| website             = {{URL|nerfherder.com}}
| current_members     =
* [[Parry Gripp]]
* Steve Sherlock
* Ben Pringle
* [[Linus of Hollywood]]
| past_members        =
* Charlie Dennis
* Dave Ehrlich
* Pete Newbury
* [[Marko DeSantis|Marko 72]]
* [[Justin Fisher (musician)|Justin Fisher]]

}}

'''Nerf Herder''' is an American [[Rock music|rock]] band from [[Santa Barbara, California]],<ref name=post>{{cite news|last=Jenkins|first=Mark|title=Nerf Herder: Rounding Up Humor|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=Feb 21, 1997}}</ref> formed in 1994<ref name=buffalo>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Michael|title=Nerf Herder rides pop culture wave|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=December 1, 2002}}</ref> by [[Parry Gripp]] (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a "[[geek rock]]" band, and are known for simple modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous,<ref name="post" /> juvenile, and pop-culture-referencing lyrics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mc-lars-podcast/id1435714967|title=The MC Lars Podcast on Apple Podcasts|website= Podcasts.apple.com}}</ref>

The band's name is a reference to a line of dialogue between [[Princess Leia]] and [[Han Solo]] in [[The Empire Strikes Back|''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'']].<ref>Quote from ''The Empire Strikes Back''.</ref>

Their 1997 single "Van Halen", a tribute to the [[Van Halen|band of the same name]],<ref name="post" /><ref name="elfman" /> received significant radio airplay and led to their first major record deal with [[Arista Records]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Verna |first1=Paul |date=December 7, 1996 |title=Nerf Herder Flies from My To Arista: ''Van Halen'' Lament Attracts Major-Label Attention|magazine=Billboard |page=8}}</ref><ref name=deseret>{{cite news|last=Iwasaki|first=Scott|title=Nerf Herder is coming to Fairpark|newspaper=The Deseret News|date=May 12, 2000}}</ref>  They also composed and performed the [[theme music]] to the television series ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series)|Buffy the Vampire Slayer]].''<ref name="buffalo" /><ref name=elfman>{{cite news|last=Elfman|first=Doug|title=Nerf Herder better at making enemies than money|newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=February 23, 2001}}</ref>

== History ==
{{more citations needed section|date=July 2016}}
Nerf Herder was formed in Santa Barbara in 1994 by [[Parry Gripp]] (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass), and Steve Sherlock (drums). Dennis left the band after the release of their debut [[Nerf Herder (album)|self-titled album]], and was replaced first by Pete Newbury, with Dave Ehrlich also joining as a second guitarist.<ref name="deseret" /> Newbury's tenure touring with the band was, however, short-lived. He was briefly replaced in 1999 by bassist [[Marko DeSantis|Marko 72]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.answers.com/topic/nerf-herder |title=Nerf Herder: Information from |publisher=Answers.com |access-date=2012-04-09}}</ref> and then by [[Justin Fisher (musician)|Justin Fisher]],<ref name="deseret" /> who played bass and keyboards on two albums (''How To Meet Girls'' & ''American Cheese'').

In 1999, Nerf Herder asked Arista to release them from their contract, so they could move forward with a new record, ''[[How to Meet Girls]]'', with [[Honest Don's Records]], a subsidiary of [[Fat Wreck Chords]]. A special EP for My Records (run by Joey Cape from [[Lagwagon]]) titled ''My EP'' was released in 2001, and was followed in 2002 by their album ''[[American Cheese (album)|American Cheese]]''.

The band wrote and performed the theme song for the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997). In April 2003, Nerf Herder appeared as the musical guest in the final-season ''Buffy'' episode "[[Empty Places]]" – the very last band to play at The Bronze. Their special connection to the series was further acknowledged by a bit of dialogue, as "Rock City News" played in the background:

<blockquote><poem>[[Kennedy (Buffyverse)|Kennedy]]: What kind of band plays during an apocalypse?
[[Dawn Summers|Dawn]]: I think this band might actually be one of the signs.</poem></blockquote>

By 2003, after the final ''American Cheese'' tour dates—during which time Ben Pringle (also of [[The Rentals]] during 2005–2008) had replaced Fisher (who had left amicably to front his own band, Psoma)—the band disintegrated. No official split was announced, but a post by Gripp on the band's website some time afterwards detailed how most of the former band members had gone on to get normal jobs.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://techland.time.com/2008/07/03/parry_gripp_of_nerf_herder_the/ |title =Parry Gripp of Nerf Herder: The Nerd World Interview|publisher = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date = 3 July 2008 |access-date= 2013-03-14 }}</ref> Gripp did some work as a [[jingle]] writer, which led to his 2005 solo album ''For Those About to Shop, We Salute You'', a 51-track [[concept album]] mimicking various musical styles and focusing on product commercialization.<ref name=abouttoshop>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/for-those-about-to-shop-we-salute-you-mw0000204583 |title=For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - Parry Gripp - Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=2017-11-03}}</ref>

In late 2006, Nerf Herder made a surprise comeback, announcing on their website that they were playing a handful of gigs with the original lineup of Gripp, Dennis, and Sherlock. For Gripp's May 7, 2007 review of the day, he announced that the original lineup had finally finished recording their 4th album, which did not have a title at that time.  Gripp stated that he wanted the title to be ''Brownerton'', but that idea was shot down. He also stated that of the 13 songs recorded, they would probably pick 10 to be on the album. In June 2007, the band decided on the title ''Nerf Herder IV'', and the album was released through [[Oglio Records]] on April 29, 2008.  Pringle returned, and Former [[Size 14]] singer [[Linus of Hollywood]] joined the live band (playing guitar and keyboard) in early 2008 for a series of West Coast shows and a short tour of Japan.

In 2014, Nerf Herder began working on album number five, titled ''[[Rockingham (album)|Rockingham]]'', which was released on March 11, 2016.<ref name=pledgemusic>{{cite web|url=http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/nerfherder |title=Nerf Herder: The New Album on PledgeMusic |publisher=Pledgemusic.com |access-date=2015-05-05}}</ref>

As of 2019, Nerf Herder has continued to perform live and is currently writing and recording new material.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/nerfrock/ |title=Nerf Herder - Home |publisher=facebook.com |access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref>

As of 2025, Nerf Herder are still currently active touring. The band have a [https://www.instagram.com/p/DFxOdqhx0_q/?hl=en european tour planned for July]

== Band members ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Current members'''

* [[Parry Gripp]] – vocals, guitar (1994–2003, 2005–present)
* Steve Sherlock – drums, vocals (1994–2003, 2005–present)
* Ben Pringle – bass, vocals (2002–2003, 2009–present)
* [[Linus of Hollywood]] – guitar, keyboards (2008–present)
{{col-2}}
'''Former members'''

* Charlie Dennis – bass, vocals (1994–1998, 2005–2009)
* Dave Ehrlich – guitar (1997–2003)
* Pete Newbury – bass, vocals (1998–1999)
* Justin Fisher – bass, vocals, keyboards (1999–2002)

{{col-end}}

=== Timeline ===

<div style="text-align:center;">
{{#tag:timeline|
ImageSize  = width:750 height:250
PlotArea   = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:50
Alignbars  = justify
DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1994 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}}
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =
  id:Vocals              value:red        legend:Vocals
  id:Guitar              value:green      legend:Guitar
  id:Bass                value:blue       legend:Bass
  id:Keys                value:purple     legend:Keyboards
  id:Drums               value:orange     legend:Drums
  id:Lines               value:black      legend:Studio_albums

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:01/01/1994
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/1994

LineData =

  at:11/01/1996 color:black layer:back
  at:06/01/2000 color:black layer:back
  at:08/13/2002 color:black layer:back
  at:03/01/2008 color:black layer:back
  at:03/11/2016 color:black layer:back

BarData =

  bar:Gripp text:"Parry Gripp"
  bar:Ehrlich text:"Dave Ehrlich"
  bar:Linus text:"Linus of Hollywood"
  bar:Dennis text:"Charlie Dennis"
  bar:Newbury text:"Pete Newbury"
  bar:Fisher text:"Justin Fisher"
  bar:Pringle text:"Ben Pringle"
  bar:Sherlock text:"Steve Sherlock"

PlotData=

  width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
  bar:Gripp from:01/01/1994 till:06/01/2003 color:Vocals
  bar:Gripp from:01/01/1994 till:06/01/2003 color:Guitar width:3
  bar:Gripp from:06/01/2005 till:end color:Vocals
  bar:Gripp from:06/01/2005 till:end color:Guitar width:3
  bar:Sherlock from:01/01/1994 till:06/01/2003 color:Drums
  bar:Sherlock from:01/01/1994 till:06/01/2003 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Sherlock from:06/01/2005 till:end color:Drums
  bar:Sherlock from:06/01/2005 till:end color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Dennis from:01/01/1994 till:03/01/1998 color:Bass
  bar:Dennis from:01/01/1994 till:03/01/1998 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Dennis from:06/01/2005 till:10/01/2009 color:Bass
  bar:Dennis from:06/01/2005 till:10/01/2009 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Ehrlich from:06/01/1997 till:06/01/2003 color:Guitar
  bar:Linus from:06/01/2008 till:end color:Guitar
  bar:Linus from:06/01/2008 till:end color:Keys width:3
  bar:Newbury from:03/01/1998 till:06/01/1999 color:Bass
  bar:Newbury from:03/01/1998 till:06/01/1999 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Fisher from:10/01/1999 till:09/01/2002 color:Bass
  bar:Fisher from:10/01/1999 till:09/01/2002 color:Keys width:7
  bar:Fisher from:10/01/1999 till:09/01/2002 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Pringle from:09/01/2002 till:06/01/2003 color:Bass
  bar:Pringle from:09/01/2002 till:06/01/2003 color:Vocals width:3
  bar:Pringle from:10/01/2009 till:end color:Bass
  bar:Pringle from:10/01/2009 till:end color:Vocals width:3

}}
</div>

== Discography ==

; Studio albums
* ''[[Nerf Herder (album)|Nerf Herder]]'' (1996) My Records/[[Arista Records]]
* ''[[How to Meet Girls]]'' (2000) [[Honest Don's Records]]
* ''[[American Cheese (album)|American Cheese]]'' (2002) Honest Don's Records
* ''[[Nerf Herder IV|IV]]'' (2008) [[Oglio Records]]
* ''[[Rockingham (album)|Rockingham]]'' (2016) [[Golfshirt Records]]

; Extended plays
* ''My E.P.'' (2001) My Records
* ''High Voltage Christmas Rock'' (2002) self-released

; Singles<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/253326-Nerf-Herder|title=Nerf Herder|website=Discogs}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/nerf-herder/570124|title=Nerf Herder Biography - ARTISTdirect Music}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/820812/nerf-herder-chumbawamba-release-love-songs/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502224616/http://www.mtv.com/news/820812/nerf-herder-chumbawamba-release-love-songs/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 2, 2015|title=Nerf Herder, Chumbawamba Release Love Songs|website=MTV News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/led-zeppelin-rules-mw0001256495|title=Led Zeppelin Rules - Nerf Herder &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year
! Song
! US Alt<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/312130/nerf-herder/chart|title=Nerf Herder - Chart history : Billboard|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref>
!Album
|-
| 1996
| align="left" width="175px" | "Van Halen"
| 35
| rowspan="2" width="175px" |  ''Nerf Herder''
|-
| 1997
| align="left" | "Sorry"
| —
|-
| 2000
| align="left" | "Courtney"
| —
| ''How To Meet Girls''
|-
| 2002
| align="left" | "Mr. Spock"
| —
| ''American Cheese''
|-
| 2007
| align="left" | "Led Zeppelin Rules"
| —
| ''IV''
|-
| 2016
| align="left" | "At The Con"
| —
| ''Rockingham''
|-
| 2016
| align="left" | "Ghostbusters III"
| —
| ''Rockingham''
|-
| 2016
| align="left" | "Doctor Who"
| —
| ''Rockingham''
|-
|-
| 2022
| align="left" | "Born Weird"
| —
| ''Born Weird''
|}

; Compilation album appearances

The following are songs that have been featured on compilations that have not been released on any of the band's albums or EPs

* ''Happy Meals: A Smorgasbord of My Fav Songs'' (1996) My Records &ndash; "Sorry" (alt version)
* [[BASEketball (soundtrack)|''BASEketball'' soundtrack]] (1998) [[Mojo Records|Mojo]]/[[Universal Music Group|Universal]] – "Don't Hate Me (Because I'm Beautiful)"
* ''[[Short Music For Short People]]'' (1999) [[Fat Wreck Chords]] – "Doin' Laundry"
* ''Metal Rules: Tribute to Bad Hair Days'' (1999) [[Priority Records]] – "Kiss Me Deadly"
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album]]'' (1999) [[TVT Records]] – "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme"
* ''Happy Meals Vol. 2 - The Perfect Marriage'' (2001) My Records – "Hospital"
* ''Happy Meals Volume 3'' (2002) My Records – "Jacket"
* ''[[That Darn Punk Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]'' (2002) [[Kung Fu Records]] – "Siegfried and Roy"
* ''[[Bad Scene, Everyone's Fault: Jawbreaker Tribute]]'' (2003) Dying Wish Records – "Chesterfield King"
* ''[[Wrecktrospective]]'' (2009) Fat Wreck Chords – "5000 Ways to Die" (demo)
* ''Have a Crappy Summer'' (2012) Crappy Records – "I'm the Droid You're Looking For"
* ''[https://dogsongs.bandcamp.com/album/dog-songs Dog Songs]'' (2017) – "Gary and the Princess"

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{official website|http://www.nerfherder.com}}
* [http://www.fatwreck.com/band/index/74 Nerf Herder on Fat Wreck]

{{Nerf Herder}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alternative rock groups from California]]
[[Category:Arista Records artists]]
[[Category:Geek rock groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1994]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2003]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:Punk rock groups from California]]
[[Category:1994 establishments in California]]