[1][2] Best known as one of the founding acts of the early San Francisco punk scene, the band went through a number of hiatuses and periodic reunions, lineup changes, and changes in style.
While the band was centered on Jennifer Miro and Jeff Olener through its various incarnations, Alejandro Escovedo, who went on to later success as an Americana and alternative country musician, was also a key member during its years of fame in late 1970s San Francisco.
Escovedo soon teamed up with Chip and Tony Kinman from The Dils, which had also recently split, forming cowpunk band Rank and File and relocating to Austin, Texas.
The remaining members of the band soon split as well, with Olener and new Bay Area cohorts Brett Valory, with drummer jeff Raphael Danny Machine and Jackson Weir III relocating to Los Angeles to form the rock band 391, and Miro remaining in San Francisco to form The VIP's with Pat Ryan in 1979-1981.
The Nuns during this period tilted more towards Miro's new wave-influenced rock sound as Olener's previous writing partner had departed.
They added east village musicians Brian Knotts on guitar, Alex Havoc on Bass and Walter Atkinson on drums.
In this manifestation, The Nuns took on a distinctly gothic rock look and sound, an image aided by Miro's increased visibility as a fetish model (under the name Maitresse Jennifer).
The Nuns released a series of singles for the German MT Records label, followed by the Naked Save for Boots CD in 2001 and New York Vampires in 2003.
[5] The band has undergone numerous changes in lineup over the years, however, Jennifer Miro has been a constant member for all of the Nuns live performances and recordings, and Jeff Olener is present on most as well.
The earliest version of the band, prior to The Nuns performing live or recording, was centered on Alejandro Escovedo (guitar) and Jeff Olener (vocals), and included a bass player and a drummer, in later recollections referred to only as "Nola" and "Kenny".
A more stable lineup formed later around Miro, Olener, and Escovedo, with Richie Detrick added as a third lead singer, Jeffery Raphael as drummer, and a series of bassists – Leslie Q, Mike Varney (1978–1979), and Pat Ryan (1979–1980).
That line-up did some recordings (now lost) and a short West-Coast tour that ended at a very memorable show opening for the British Punk band "The Damned" at "The Stone" on Broadway in San Francisco.
In 1997, the Nuns performed NYC shows with a new line up consisting of Brian Knotts (guitar), Alex Havoc (bass), Walter Atkinson (drums) and New York actor Mikal Saintt George (back-up vocals).
In September 2011, her health had suffered a precipitous decline and she withdrew from the world, cutting off contact with all but a handful of friends without revealing her deteriorating condition.
The DVD features the two TV show pilots as well as live concert footage, backstage interviews, a short film noir, photos and a music video shot in London for New York Vampires.