Hi Nathan - how has your 2024 been?
Loving the hustle! Getting this EP together with the team has been a lot of fun as well as some touring and other prep for the album coming out next year! It’s non-stop and I’m really enjoying it.
What do you have planned for the summer?
Big things in July! My next cover EP single, "Follow You Down," written by Ciaran Lavery, drops July 5th. Then, I'm hitting the main stage at Stendhal Festival in Northern Ireland on July 6th, so rehearsals are in full swing!
Can you talk us through your debut single ‘It’ll Be Alright’, and what inspired it?
“It’ll Be Alright” was written by Gareth Dunlop, an absolute virtuoso songwriter here in Northern Ireland. I first heard it when Gareth was a guest at a monthly night I used to run in Belfast called, “Songbook”. That was probably 5 or 6 years ago and I really couldn’t get it out of my head ever since. So when it came to picking songs for this Cover EP, where I wanted to put out versions of songs written by my friends, it was a no brainer. Gareth had never released it before so I was delighted that he was ok with me putting a stamp on it.
Who are your key musical influences?
For me, it's all about the song. My influences might surprise you: Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Marc Cohn – all incredible storytellers. Their music isn't about flashy vocals or production tricks; it's about great songwriting and musicianship that seamlessly transports you into the story. That's what I aspire to – letting the song shine through.
What genres does your upcoming EP, ‘Undiscovered Vol. 1’ explore? I would say that on “Undiscovered Vol. 1” we landed more in the Soul or Blues genre with a hint of Folk in there too.
There’s a bit of everything in there! Something for all the family!
What was your favourite song to make on the EP, and why?
I loved all of them genuinely, which I know is probably the most boring answer I could give, but it’s true. Matt Weir and Si Francis co-produced the EP and I think they did an amazing job. They’ve both got great ideas and they are super easy to be around so it was never a chore. Colm McClean played the electric parts on the EP too and I think he nailed some really interesting parts on everything that were a pleasure to see come together in front of us. We did it all inside a week. It was such a fun project to undertake, recording songs that my friends have written. It was a little daunting at first because they’re all such incredible artists themselves, but I’m really glad I did it and hopefully it’s a nice snapshot of some of the amazing artists and writers coming out of Northern Ireland.
What has been your proudest musical accomplishment so far?
I think my favourite thing I’ve done musically was running “Songbook” in Belfast for the past few years. It started out just as me trying to find a good excuse to play some music with my friends around town and grew into something far more special over time which really took me by surprise. Each month we’d have two guest songwriters from Northern Ireland come up and play with the house band. It was really well attended for as long as it ran and it was encouraging to see how much local live music still means to people here. Honour of a lifetime that people came to those shows and supported us for as long as it ran.
How do you hope the EP will resonate with listeners?
I just hope that the EP gives a good account of me to anyone who doesn’t know me yet, which statistically is most people the last time I ran the numbers. Doing a Cover EP of all my friends’ songs was a passion project that I’ve always wanted to undertake and I’m glad I did it. Hopefully it gets people warmed up nicely for the album coming out next year and gives them a flavour of what I’m about.
Have you found your sound with this EP, or are you hoping to experiment?
The sound of this EP is definitely one I love, but I’m always trying to find a “sound”. I think that’s half the fun. I think the days of an artist having to stay in one lane all the time are long over and I’m here for it. The album has turned out a little different again for sure. 10) Lastly, what are your hopes for the future? Just something reasonable like multiple sold out arena shows in each major city in the world.
Lastly, what are your hopes for the future?
Just something reasonable like multiple sold out arena shows in each major city in the world. Adoration on a global scale. Nothing crazy or unrealistic.
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