JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer

For a band that formed on a lark, and at that only half a year ago, Don't Bore Nina is progressing at a pretty good clip -- just six months after its first tentative rehearsals, the Encinitas-based five-piece rock combo is issuing its debut CD (a three-song EP) with a show in San Diego on May 13.

Drummer Keely Hedges said the band came about last fall when she decided to teach herself drums.

"I randomly decided to start a band in October 2008," Hedges said in an e-mail earlier this week. "This happened to be the same time I started playing the drums, as a result of having two drum kits hanging out in my living room. I figured -- well, why not? It made the most sense to recruit my boyfriend, Troy (Azmoonn), to play bass, and then my friend/co-worker, Leslie (Richards), to play guitar.

"After we decided this endeavor would actually pan out into something more legit, we started auditioning singers. Raul (Stancov) joined the band in December fresh off his West Coast pilgrimage to escape the harsh weather of New Jersey. Matt (Bellucci) was recruited earlier this year to play keyboards. He's actually the singer for another North County band, Zombie Surf Camp, which is also … Troy on bass and Raul on guitar. So, yeah, Don't Bore Nina is actually three-fifths Surf Zombies."

Hedges explained that the band's name came out of the agenda for the group's first meeting.

"The first 'offical' band meeting (held with myself, Leslie and Troy in tow) included two things on the agenda: Come up with a band name, and watch 'Project Runway.' Troy was on fire with his Tim Gunn impressions that night, and well, this one -- sort of just stuck. Watching Tim Gunn tell participants, 'Don't bore Nina!' is a visual and auditory treat."

The band's sound, with its elements of punk and alternative and '80s new romantic, is a natural mixing of the members' own inclinations and influences, Hedges wrote.

"Initially, the sound was to be very contrived, tongue-in-cheek even. I immediately dubbed the genre electro-indie-pop-rock. However, as more people joined the band, the sound just sort of grew organically. Troy brings a Motown and funk approach to his bass lines. Raul's vocals are more rock-inspired, like Iggy Pop from the Stooges. Leslie's background is more acoustic and folk-based. And then Matt is a total Devo fanatic.

"We basically draw from all the bands we love: everything from New Order to James Brown to Blondie and beyond. The more we play, the more we sound like just pure fun, dance rock."

Only half a year into this venture, Hedges said the members of Don't Bore Nina are still building a catalog of original music -- but have already developed a method for crafting new songs.

"Typically, our songs start out with just a strong bass line Troy has developed or a guitar riff/vocal melody Raul brings to the group. This begins the writing process, and we all kind of go from there. Everyone has a voice and adds input accordingly. Each song we recorded for the demo CD was a group effort for the most part. Troy and Raul are constantly creating new music, so the steady stream of work in progress never seems to end.

"As a band, we never set out time specifically to write new music. It just sort of happens naturally. Musicians become bored playing the same stuff over and over again. Each rehearsal always devolves into playing new stuff. We can barely get through a set without jamming on something new. And so it goes, the good ideas stick (i.e., we can remember them the following practice) and we then develop them further. And as for the fleeting riffs and melodies, we figure they probably weren't good enough in the first place."

As for the second half of their first year as a band, Hedges said they hope to keep pushing forward.

"We plan to record a full-length CD, play more shows in the San Diego/Los Angeles areas, and just see where the music takes us. We're working hard to find the right gigs, create more music we love, and see how audiences and critics respond to our sound."

Don't Bore Nina, with the Metrons

When: 9 p.m. May 13

Where: The Ruby Room, 1271 University Ave., San Diego

Admission: Call for cover

Info: (619) 299-7372 or myspace.com/therubyroomsd

Web: myspace.com/dontborenina