Nuclear Crayons

The Nuclear Crayons were a punk noise band that played, and disbanded in Washington DC between 1981 & 1985. The founders were Lynch Lavoison & Darin ‘Flame’ Drake. Joining the new group was a young 15 year old bass player named Justin Luchter. He performed at the first live show the Nuclear Crayons ever performed at with the infamous song ‘No Car’ featuring a drum machine for the rythmn section. The show was at a downtown Washtington DC club called ‘The Lost & Found’ and the band played one song in a talent contest. First place went to a Drag Queen, while the Nuclear Crayons sealed up the evening with second place. The band went on to record the song ‘No Car’ at the now famous Inner Ear Studios. Young Justin’s Nuclear Summer ended when he went off to New York to attend a arts High School. We think Justin went on to have a successful career in something. This left Lynch & Flame with having to find new band members, a drummer to fill the shoes of the drum machine and a new bass player to replace young Justin. Biff Bones (aka Kendal Church) joined the Nuclear Crayons as dummer (probably just in time to record ‘Teenage Suicide’ , ‘Political Punk’ and ‘Outsider’ before Justin left). The shoes of the bass player were filled by the ever talented Mr. Bernie Wandel. Bernie quickly adapted the already written bass lines and was ready to perform at the second show, a bonafied full set appearance in a empty store front in Washington DC with other bands. In the audience that night was Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedy fame. The Nuclear Crayons gained his support which was crucial later when their first 7′ vinyl record ‘Nameless’ was released. Lynch was unable to gain support for the Nuclear Crayons through the now burgeoning Dischord Records, the sound wasn’t right & the Nuclear Crayons weren’t officially part of the ‘Georgetown Punk’ group and so didn’t fit the bill. But Lynch was impressed with the ‘do it yourself’ attitude of Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson so she started up a Label called Outside Records. It was this label that the Nuclear Crayons, in 1982, released their first 7″ vinyl 3 song EP with ‘Outsider’, ‘Teenage Suicide’ and ‘Political Punk’. This record was sent to Jello Biafra who reviewed it in Maximum Rock & Roll giving the band a label of ‘disturbing’ to the sound. Folks took this as a good review and the small supply of approximately 250 vinyl EP’s were sold out within a few short months.