Hey, blogspot readers, meet an electrifying singer/songwriter who wants to take you from the lake to the moon ...and back with his music. This reviewer had the pleasure of covering her long time friend, Nate Z when he was rockin' the stage with the band Bona Verba as front man/guitarist. He has thrilled audiences with his intense guitar fingering during his performances which would end in break strings and bloody fingers. Now as a solo artist, times have changed, blogspot readers, and so has the direction and intensity of his music. Describing it as "...folky rock-n-roll with [some] popness...", Nate Z recently gave SouthSide an exclusive peek inside his music from his upcoming album, his thoughts about the local scene and My Chemical Romance and more during an interview before his local showcase set at Elbo Room.
Q: If you had to compare yourself with another singer/songwriter, who would it be and why?
A: Kurt Cobain ...that was my band [Nirvana] when growing up ...my songwriting can be compared to kurt's however I can't sing like him ...I have tried. I'm now into "old school" folk (think Woody Guthrie) from the 30s and 40s.
Not a big fan of cover bands/artists however I'm a big fan artists who enjoy being themselves. Be yourself musically. I also like Mozart and Beethevon ...composers creating music from within.
Q: Single or taken?
A: Taken
Q: What was the inspiration behind the catchy tune Lake to the Moon?
A: When I wrote it, I had the opening riff but no lyrics til I got to the chorus and then put them both together. Basically I wanted to keep it as a simple song. For the most part it's about boozing or being under the influence and I lived close to the lake ...enjoyed looking out at moon. So it's simple and the riff is repetitive and I didn't want to sing over the riff - just want to play it. Then too I wanted the song to clever and witty. I take pride in my lyrics to ...they're poetry.
Q: So you can somewhat call yourself a modern age troubadour?
A: *laughs* Modern age troubadour? That's if what people want to say.
Q: What are the inspirations behind your other songs like On The Train to Chicago?
A: I actually met a girl on a train heading to Chicago. We had must had a good conversation during the ride ...I already had the music set [for this particular song] but needed the lyrics.
Q: So you write your music first before adding the lyrics?
A: Lately, yes - I have the music ready ...simply need the lyrics to complete the song. Sometimes I have the melody in my head ...humming it or singing jibberish until the lyrics finally form.
Q: SouthSide would like your opinion about Chicago's local scene.
A: I should go out more to support the local scene. There are good and bad bands/artists. Personally, I have been it for a few years now ...started at Elbo Room and they do a good job promoting the music scene. I wish there was more comradorie between bands/artists. People - get out and support the local bands. There will be shitty ones but there also will be some good ones to meet and befriend. Keep in contact with the bands too. Also singles guys - it's way to meet hot chicks. *laughs*
Q: Do you find it less constricting to perform as a solo artist than with a full band?
A: Yes, I would like to have a full band but also it has made me a better guitar player. A two piece band is nice yet as a solo artist, I have more freedom and not having to worry what the other guys are doing. Plus this keeps me on top of my game to be a better bassist/electric player. I enjoy it.
Q: Will Nate Z perform with a ful in the near future?
A: Yes, I hope so.
Q: What's next on Nate Z's calendar?
A: I will be performing at Rockapalooza in Jackson, MI at the Jackson County Fairgrounds and will be the Razor & Die show on WLUW 88.7 FM on July 27th.
Q: Tell SouthSide a little something about the new CD? What's the title?
A: No title yet. If all goes well, the new CD will come out this fall. It will have 10 tracks featuring singles like From the Lake to the Moon, Lithuanian Princess (a love story in a way about wanting to achieve that happy ending) and Keep The Faith (which started off as 3 separate songs but soon took parts from each and rollled into one. This particular song is meant to be an inspirational song.) ...also included in the album Have a Nice Day.
Q: Which song (or songs) should fans familiarize themselves about Nate Z and his music?
A: Lake to the Moon and Have a Nice Day - those two separate songs display my different personality ...one is my mellow side while the other is my strange rock-n-roll side. Basically all of my songs are short love stories. However check out Lake to the Moon on You-Tube (which also features SouthSide in it) however the one used for the video is a demo version. I will re-release the video with the final album version.
Q: Any last words ...shameless self-promoting plugs about yourself?
A: Come to a show ...just enjoy music and just enjoy life ...without music life wouldn't be the same...
For more information about Nate Z, visit this singer/songwriter at http://www.natezmusic.com/.
Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide
Q: If you had to compare yourself with another singer/songwriter, who would it be and why?
A: Kurt Cobain ...that was my band [Nirvana] when growing up ...my songwriting can be compared to kurt's however I can't sing like him ...I have tried. I'm now into "old school" folk (think Woody Guthrie) from the 30s and 40s.
Not a big fan of cover bands/artists however I'm a big fan artists who enjoy being themselves. Be yourself musically. I also like Mozart and Beethevon ...composers creating music from within.
Q: Single or taken?
A: Taken
Q: What was the inspiration behind the catchy tune Lake to the Moon?
A: When I wrote it, I had the opening riff but no lyrics til I got to the chorus and then put them both together. Basically I wanted to keep it as a simple song. For the most part it's about boozing or being under the influence and I lived close to the lake ...enjoyed looking out at moon. So it's simple and the riff is repetitive and I didn't want to sing over the riff - just want to play it. Then too I wanted the song to clever and witty. I take pride in my lyrics to ...they're poetry.
Q: So you can somewhat call yourself a modern age troubadour?
A: *laughs* Modern age troubadour? That's if what people want to say.
Q: What are the inspirations behind your other songs like On The Train to Chicago?
A: I actually met a girl on a train heading to Chicago. We had must had a good conversation during the ride ...I already had the music set [for this particular song] but needed the lyrics.
Q: So you write your music first before adding the lyrics?
A: Lately, yes - I have the music ready ...simply need the lyrics to complete the song. Sometimes I have the melody in my head ...humming it or singing jibberish until the lyrics finally form.
Q: SouthSide would like your opinion about Chicago's local scene.
A: I should go out more to support the local scene. There are good and bad bands/artists. Personally, I have been it for a few years now ...started at Elbo Room and they do a good job promoting the music scene. I wish there was more comradorie between bands/artists. People - get out and support the local bands. There will be shitty ones but there also will be some good ones to meet and befriend. Keep in contact with the bands too. Also singles guys - it's way to meet hot chicks. *laughs*
Q: Do you find it less constricting to perform as a solo artist than with a full band?
A: Yes, I would like to have a full band but also it has made me a better guitar player. A two piece band is nice yet as a solo artist, I have more freedom and not having to worry what the other guys are doing. Plus this keeps me on top of my game to be a better bassist/electric player. I enjoy it.
Q: Will Nate Z perform with a ful in the near future?
A: Yes, I hope so.
Q: What's next on Nate Z's calendar?
A: I will be performing at Rockapalooza in Jackson, MI at the Jackson County Fairgrounds and will be the Razor & Die show on WLUW 88.7 FM on July 27th.
Q: Tell SouthSide a little something about the new CD? What's the title?
A: No title yet. If all goes well, the new CD will come out this fall. It will have 10 tracks featuring singles like From the Lake to the Moon, Lithuanian Princess (a love story in a way about wanting to achieve that happy ending) and Keep The Faith (which started off as 3 separate songs but soon took parts from each and rollled into one. This particular song is meant to be an inspirational song.) ...also included in the album Have a Nice Day.
Q: Which song (or songs) should fans familiarize themselves about Nate Z and his music?
A: Lake to the Moon and Have a Nice Day - those two separate songs display my different personality ...one is my mellow side while the other is my strange rock-n-roll side. Basically all of my songs are short love stories. However check out Lake to the Moon on You-Tube (which also features SouthSide in it) however the one used for the video is a demo version. I will re-release the video with the final album version.
Q: Any last words ...shameless self-promoting plugs about yourself?
A: Come to a show ...just enjoy music and just enjoy life ...without music life wouldn't be the same...
For more information about Nate Z, visit this singer/songwriter at http://www.natezmusic.com/.
Until next time, support your local scene,
SouthSide
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