When you see the new Reno indie-rock band Nosebone, you might get a strong sense of déjà vu.
All three members—Mikie Ramirez on bass and vocals, Penny Notasquare on guitar and vocals, and Scaught Bates on drums—used to be in The Shames, a popular punk band in town that was together for 15 years. But Nosebone is a different prospect from The Shames in many ways. With renewed energy, a change in lyrical direction and some musical curveballs, it truly is a new band with the same three members. Notasquare describes her band this way: “It’s punk discipline with the bad decisions from all the other genres.”
The style nuances between Nosebone and The Shames are apparent when you hear its new material. Songs like “28 Days” and “Brain-Dead” still have roots in punk, but they are more refined and arranged, and their topical lyrics poke through with more urgency. “It’s My Soul” in particular is an urgent song with great quiet-to-loud dynamics, with lyrics such as “we need to trust the women” and “we don’t owe you shit.”
There are also some interesting left turns musically that go beyond punk or indie music. “Officer Zero” is closer to cowpunk with a cowbell part and a jauntier shuffle rhythm, while “Cops in My Head” manages to sound like early U.K. goth/post-punk and Agent Orange-style surf-punk at the same time.
“We wanted to have something louder and tighter than our old projects,” Notasquare said. “And the chemistry was there, so we just kept going.”
The new songs are fresh—to the point where you can only hear them when the band plays live, although Nosebone wants to release at least a 7-inch single by the end of the year.
A nose for chaos
Nosebone debuted at the annual Loud at the Lair rock/punk festival in Blairsden, Calif., last October. This was after writing new material for most of 2025 after their work as the backing band in Eddie and the Subtitles ended in December 2024. They had been playing with that group since 2018.
“Eddie and the Subtitles broke up, and we just kind of immediately decided to keep having practice,” Ramirez said. “Then we just started coming up with new songs right away and just started building from that.”
That new music didn’t just feel like a do-over of The Shames, who ended in February 2020.
“To me personally, it feels like a totally different band since we’re actually writing new songs and then playing them,” Bates said.
Added Notasquare: “I think there is more anxiety and more confusion in this existence we’re in right now. It seems like the name change is the right thing to do, because nothing is really making sense anymore. It’s kind of more dreadful, wouldn’t you say?”
Bates: “Right, like, a lot of the old Shames songs are about partying and stuff.”
Notasquare: “Yeah, and being naughty.”
Bates: “Yeah, some of these new songs are about life experiences under your belts. More reflection.”
Notasquare: “Or just being out of control—whether that’s internal or external.”
That sounds like more of an existential angst band than a party band.
Notasquare: “Because how can you not have angst right now?”
At the same time, the band members emphasized that the songs aren’t completely about social issues.
“It’s like we can’t pretend we’re not paying attention to all the bullshit out there, but we are also writing about escaping it,” Notasquare said.
The changes in subject matter also reflect the differences in the way the songs are written.
“A lot of the songs in The Shames were written with me and Penny, drinking beers and playing guitars together late into the night or whatever,” Ramirez said. “Now we live separately and write the songs and come to band practice to show the songs to everyone.”
Added Notasquare: “When we collectively arrange the song ideas together, it really brings out a different outcome.”
Writing together, rocking together
Ramirez and Notasquare have been playing music together for 21 years, a pretty astonishing feat in local music. They started in a group called The Primes in 2005, which soon evolved into The Shames. Bates joined the group in 2018.
The trio of friends shared some secrets on how they’ve all played together for so long.
“It’s like we can’t pretend we’re not paying attention to all the bullshit out there, but we are also writing about escaping it.”
Penny Notasquare
“You’ve got to give enough space to the person to be independent themselves and create,” Notasquare said. “While also … it’s like, I depend on (Ramirez’s) magic. When I make a song, I’m like, ‘Yo, listen to this and put on your sauce.’ Like, what can she do to kick this up a notch?”
Added Ramirez: “I think when you make friends with someone and love them for so long and play music with them, it’s just natural. And Scaught’s just, like, a really good friend, and a fucking rad drummer, and we’ve just played music for so long that I want to keep doing that, you know?”
Bates: “It feels really easy with you guys.”
Notasquare: “Yeah, we don’t have to fake it.”
Help from friends
Nosebone’s next show, “Friends of P,” is a special one with good vibes of its own. It is organized by Mikie Ramirez and her husband, longtime Reno musician and benefit promoter Nick Ramirez. “Friends of P” will take place on Saturday, May 30, at Shim’s Surplus Speakeasy in downtown Reno.
Headlined by Rotary Club and The Juvinals and featuring other bands from both Ramirezes—not to mention a free nacho bar—the show was designed to raise funds for special education classrooms in Washoe County. Mikie and Nick’s daughter, Pauline, has autism, so they know first-hand about the struggles that special-needs teachers face in Reno.
“A lot of times, a teacher doesn’t have the funds to do what they want to do for their classroom,” Ramirez said. “Maybe they need some special furniture; maybe they need some sensory items or some other things that the specific kids could use in the classroom, and they have to go to the PTA and ask for funds, but first, they have to fill out these forms, and it can be really hard.”
The aim of Friends of P is to combat this red tape by giving at least three teachers enough funds to purchase these classroom items on their own. Ramirez also hopes the event will raise enough money to get gift certificates for paraprofessionals and other support people who work with special-needs children.
The name of the event points directly to the friendships that are a crucial part of Nosebone, as well as other bands that are a part of Ramirez’s orbit.
“‘Friends of P’ is Friends of Pauline, so it’s, like, all of the people who love and support her, mainly all of our close friends in our bands who all know and love her,” she said.
“Friends of P” takes place at 5 p.m., Saturday, May 30, at Shim’s Surplus Speakeasy, at 125 W. Third St. The event benefits special needs teachers, caregivers and support people, and there is a $10 suggested donation. Learn more at Nosebone’s Instagram site.