VicelandsNirvanna The Band The Showis like no other comedy series youve seen before.
Yes, youve heard statements like this before, and naturally youre skeptical.
ButNirvanna The Band The Showis different.
Breaking the shows plot down almost seems ridiculous due to how inconsequential the series title actually is.
This show has absolutely nothing to do with Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, or even music, really.
The only catch is that they dont even have an act.
Nirvanna The Band The Showoperates with a chaotic style that seamlessly incorporates scripted elements into avant-garde guerilla-style filmmaking.
To see you guys doing anEntouragetitle sequence but with Toronto iconography was sort of mind blowing.
Stuff that makes you go, How is this show even capable of doing this?
Did they hire somebody else to do this?
And if so, why?
Its just one of our favorite things to do, with some really good title sequences on the horizon.
Doing things without permission.
Doing things without a script.
Doing plots that dont go anywhere.
A lot of restraint was in play.
Wed be like, Well, do we hire actors for this?
No, we do it just like we did the web series with no actors.
Do we build sets when we want to do something more complicated?
DEN OF GEEK: Its such a great juxtaposition between extremes.
going on as you watch this show.
MATT JOHNSON: Well, thats the essential philosophy of the entire series.
or I cant believe how smart this is!
Its those moments where you say, I cant believe Im watching this.
Its like when a child is watching a movie and doesnt understand how it works.
What am I watching?
Its more rewarding than being funny or even being interesting.
We want to create that feeling.
What did he help bring to all of this?
What is someone like that doing in a show thats still very homemade?
MATT JOHNSON: I mean, thats a simple answer.
Hes giving us the credibility with the data pipe to do these insane things.
JAY McCARROL: We learned that you get a lot of mileage from understanding what your voice is.
It becomes much easier to work with you.
Are you both big on those heavy sorts of meta moments?
MATT JOHNSON: Well, we dont shy away from them.
We dont think too much about it.
You dont expect form to follow character, whereas in our show, form really is following character.
And we love that.
Is it important to properly tap into that dynamic between the two of you?
MATT JOHNSON: Of course.
I think its probably obvious that we just are who we say we are in the show.
The 80s and 90s were really dominated by that, but now friendshipreal friendshiphas taken that over.
Its unbelievable to see moments like that on TV.
MATT JOHNSON: Just wait until you see episode seven.
We do the same thing, but withGoldenEye 007.
DEN OF GEEK: Thats beautiful.
Even stuff like thatMortal KombatToasty!
reference in your Daredevil fight, or namedroppingSecret of Manalater.
Theyre all these perfectly authentic character moments.
Things that weve spent hundreds of hours through our childhood playing.
So its awesome to hear that material connects and that the joy is clear because its all completely real.
We fake so much in the show already that its important that these moments at least ring true.
No one is going to question that we dont actually know whatMario Kartis.
Why was it important to fit aStar Warsepisode into the season?
MATT JOHNSON: We have a lot of ideas regarding what we want these characters to explore.
With a subject like that, once the cameras turn on, we dont even need a script.
We could do an entire episode onGoldenEye 007in the same way.
It writes itself and we dont have to learn anything new.
Something that youre particularly proud of?
JAY McCARROL: Mine would be that we were able to film an entire episode at Canadas Wonderland.
DEN OF GEEK: Oh my God!
Im still glowing over that!
Its coming in episode six.
Its my favorite moment with a real person that weve shot.
Nirvanna The Band The Showairs Thursdays at midnight on Viceland.
