photo by Ash Comer
From his life as an indie folk producer, songwriter, touring musician, theater composer, a founding member of the People's Puppets of Occupy Wall Street, music reviewer for AFROPUNK and more, Nathan Leigh is part renaissance man and part workaholic (and I am guessing a avid Red bull user although I do not know this as a fact). His latest track Dad Rock (The Disappointment Song), the first single from the upcoming album "Myths, Conspiracy Theories and Other Stuff I Made Up To Sound Interesting" that drops April 17th on Flowerpot Records, shoots out of the gate with alt rock screaming guitar leads and shifting down beats, double time drums and shout-a-bout lyrics. Moments later, the song shifts momentarily into something more breezy until the next punk affected eruption. The easy, then rabid shifts speaks to the lyrics about feeling the strain of becoming an older rocker but still having to dig down deep into your own youthful energy and rock out when it is time to perform. I also get the sense that this rocker celebrates what come with age, wisdom and life honed tenacity.
Leigh created the stop motion animation for the official video while under quarantine (due to a life threatening lung condition) which, again, speaks to his prolific nature. As luck would have it all during these increasingly scarey times fraught with social distancing and a stalling economy.
The band that formed around Ordinary Eternal Machinery gradually solidified into the current line-up of The Crisis Actors, with bassist Corey Kaiser and drummer Rich DiGregario stepping into key roles alongside longtime collaborators Chelsea Wolf and saxophonist Anthony Cekay. - press notes
Shared Leigh: “Our latest album was recorded during a pretty dark time for me,” Nathan explains, “it became really important to me to write songs that made me feel a little more hopeful about the future. As a person with a life-threatening lung condition in the middle of a global pandemic, I need all the hope I can get.”
- Robb Donker Curtius
The new album "MYTHS, CONSPIRACY THEORIES, AND OTHER STUFF I MADE UP TO SOUND INTERESTING" out April 17th, 2020 on Flowerpot Records Pre-order Here: https://nathanleigh.bandcamp.com/
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Hailed as “a songbook for our time,” indie folk producer and songwriter Nathan Leigh's 2012 album A Life In Transit explored the highs and lows of touring life. Splitting his time between the life of a touring musician and a theatre composer, Nathan Leigh has performed in venues across the country, and had his music featured in over 300 plays from South Africa to Greece.
With former Super Mirage bandmate Kyle Jarrow, Nathan co-created the musicals Big Money (WTF Boris Segall Fellowship 2008) and The Consequences (World Premiere 2012 at WHAT). Collaborating with Jason Slavick and the Liars and Believers ensemble, Nathan Leigh composed scores for adaptations of Song of Songs and Icarus (NYMF 2013). He is the composer and co-lyricist for The Mad Scientist’s Guide to Romance, Robots and Soul-Crushing Loneliness (NYC Fringe 2015) with book writer Megan Sass. Since 2010, Nathan has worked for AFROPUNK as staff music reviewer and producer for the monthly AFROPUNK Mixtape series.
Nathan is a founding member of the Peoples Puppets of Occupy Wall Street, now in its 7th year of radical street theatre and puppetry. His latest full length solo album, Ordinary Eternal Machinery, was released January 2017, and received praised from Dying Scene for its “sensational music composition that goes far beyond the traditional confines of the trusty acoustic guitar that reminded us of the versatile and ageless Paul Simon.”
The band that formed around Ordinary Eternal Machinery gradually solidified into the current line-up of The Crisis Actors, with bassist Corey Kaiser and drummer Rich DiGregario stepping into key roles alongside longtime collaborators Chelsea Wolf and saxophonist Anthony Cekay.
“Our latest album was recorded during a pretty dark time for me,” Nathan explains, “it became really important to me to write songs that made me feel a little more hopeful about the future. As a person with a life-threatening lung condition in the middle of a global pandemic, I need all the hope I can get.”
Myths, Conspiracy Theories, and Other Stuff I Made Up To Sound Interesting is due out April 17th 2020 on Flowerpot Records.
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