The Nursery is a bold and playful alternative rock band known for their cinematic sound, surreal-tinged aesthetics, and high-energy live shows. Their music dives deep into the intense emotions of youth — contrasting themes of fear, rebellion, obsession, desire, and alienation. The main lineup consists of Alex Pulec (vocals, guitar), Victor Ess (bass, synth), Jared Roth (keyboards, synth), and Josh English (drums). The timeline below tells the full story of the band.
Alex Pulec started his foray into music at the tender age of 8 writing and recording his first songs (and noisy experiments) using the family’s home karaoke machine. Its two tape decks and record functions were used to overdub and build songs with him recording every instrument he could get his hands on. Pulec started writing and performing his songs with The Nursery in 2010, right off the heels of splitting from his previous group, The Ruby Spirit. Sharper than ever his unique signature and identity began to take shape.
“Astutely crafted and slyly hooky pop-rock tunes that one could easily imagine brightening up the playlists of more open-minded mainstream radio outlets” - (Toronto Star)
After putting together a permanent new band and bursting onto the scene with their breakout EP Digital Ashes and single “Everybody’s Famous (Except Me)”, The Nursery has earned song rotation and interviews on mainstream and independent radio stations in Canada, The United States and Mexico. Upon releasing their debut album Life After Wartime, The Nursery were awarded "Best Independent Rock/Pop Band In Canada" by Indie 88’s "Indie Awards" (2018). That same year the band was also awarded “Best Music Video" for Digital Ashes by the Toronto Independent Music Awards.
The Nursery's music has been licensed to Netflix syndicated shows (Schitt's Creek/Kim's Convenience), received brand sponsorships (Converse/Jim Beam) and earned glowing press on national news outlets (CBC, Toronto Star, Exclaim!, Flare, Chart Attack)
"A complex record that explores numerous themes, including the experience that comes with loss, as well as our society’s obsession with technology, fame, and nostalgia." - (Indie88)
Known for their explosive live performances, The Nursery have headlined three small tours across North America, played various festivals and supported artists like Still Corners, The Birthday Massacre, The Elwins, Dan Mangan, Day Wave, The Wooden Sky and a solo Gord Downie performance to name a few.
"Blurring the lines between post-punk, electro-pop and psychedelic rock." - (Exclaim!)
In 2020, The Nursery teamed up with producer Michael Fong (Electric Youth, Wintersleep, Scott Helman) and Nixon Boyd (Dizzy, Hollerado, Royal Mountain) to release the singles "Radium Girls" and "Demons," in preparation for their anticipated second full-length album Candy & Gloom. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond the band's control, they were forced to go on hiatus, pausing both the sophomore album and future live plans.
"With an anthemic and boisterous sound, Toronto’s The Nursery is well on the path to being Canada’s next great breakthrough band. Digital Ashes is fantastic songwriting that is simultaneously dark, hypnotic, and euphoric" - (The Revue)
Lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Alex has since launched a solo career under the moniker Alex Exists. His debut solo LP, Everybody's Famous, creatively picks up where the band left off — serving as both an ode to his roots with The Nursery and a natural bridge, taking their unique mix of post-punk, thrifty glam rock, and psychedelic pop into new territory.
Drummer Josh English has gone on to co-found the band GROSH, where he continues to release music and perform across the USA. He also collaborates with Alex on creative visuals for the solo project.
