We recently connected with Drew Nathan and have shared our conversation below.
Drew, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I grew up in the church. My parents met there, got married there, volunteered heavily, etc. I basically grew up running the halls of our church. I got my first guitar when I was 13 and obviously, church was a natural outlet for that new passion. Fast forward ten years and I’m working full time for that same place. Over the years of developing the craft of music around some incredibly talented musicians, I found myself burning out. I was tired and all of a sudden found myself needing to step away. I started questioning music in general on my way out of that setting to be honest. All those years I realized that, while honing my “craft,” I was never making music for me. I ignored my roots. I pushed down where I came from and my truest natural inspiration. I left the church telling myself I would never write another song. I didn’t even have the smallest desire to pick up my guitar at that point.
During the lockdown in 2020 when time slowed down, I realized that I had not been living the life I wanted to for a long time at that point. I started meditation. I practiced silence and solitude and used the vast amount of time most of us suddenly had to really search myself. A good friend of mine once said “I think as adults we’re all just trying to be who we were as kids again” and I think that’s what my heart was trying to tell me through these meditation sessions. I started having these intense flashbacks and vivid memories I haven’t thought of or remembered, at some points, ever. Memories about growing up out in the country and learning lessons early on in life. I remembered things my pawpaw said and the joys of life back then. I suddenly found myself missing music too. After meditating one day, I thought to myself “why not” and went and picked up my guitar. It felt good. Less like a burden and more like a blessing. I started playing and suddenly the melody for my single “Free Tonight” just started coming out. It felt like finding an old handed-down watch you thought you lost. In that moment and with that melody, music because precious to me again.
My favorite thing about country is how fun it is. The story telling, the twists and turns, the hooks, the twang, the attitude, the grit, the shimmer, the lessons and values. I could go on and on. I grew up loving it and when I started writing music for me, that’s what just came out. My expression of growing up living those songs I guess. For the first time in probably closer to a decade, I was having fun writing music. I believe country music saved my personal hope for the goodness of life. It gave me an avenue to have fun with music again. This is how I was able to develop my self-confidence and self-esteem. Taking music back for myself.
Thank God for country music.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Drew Nathan. I’m from a town a little south of Charlotte, North Carolina and I’ve been writing songs since I first got a guitar in 2003. I grew up on one of the greatest eras of country music in the 90’s and 2000’s. Ever since I started writings songs again, that’s the gold I’m chasing. My focus as a songwriter is to move people like music has moved me all my life, whether it’s a tune about heartbreak or drinking beers around a bonfire with your friends.
I currently have three singles (along with an acoustic version of one of them) out with more on the way! You can find them anywhere that you stream or purchase music. This year I’m planning on putting more music out, playing more shows, and as always writing more and more songs.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I think the first quality that I can think of looking back when I was starting is the fact that after I started playing guitar, I just got obsessed with it. I would play any chance I got in my room or in front of people. The next I would say is surrounding yourself with people that are better than you. If you want to get better, never be the best one in the room. The last one I’d say is a mix between humility and confidence. You have to have confidence that oversteps arrogance. It’s hard to be around EITHER the person that thinks they’re better than everyone OR the person that doesn’t think they deserve anything they’ve worked for.
My advice for folks early in their creative journey is either find resilience way down deep in you. You’re going to run into a lot of resistance, and for that you’ll need resilience to get up the next day and do it despite rejection or lack of inspiration.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
Personally, I believe it is better to go all in on our strengths. When I think about the greatest artists of all time, I dont think about people that are able to “do it all,” I think of the artists that leaned into what they did best. But I think I find this most beautiful in the co-writing area on being a songwriter. It’s a beautiful thing working with someone that you know is better at something that may not be your best strong suit. With the right combination of strengths, weakness gaps are filled.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewnathanmusic/
- Facebook: facebook.com/drewnathanmusic
- Other: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0A2pgBxYluqHazANZMYGob?si=Hpr9OAY7TqSRCO6UvSjiUw
Image Credits
Kristie Crowder
