Darkness. Spotlight. Piano.
Out of the blackness, heavily tattooed arms ease into the light and begin to play. Nathan Lee leans into the microphone and bleeds for you. Chest carved open, heart laid bare. That’s the only way he knows how to do it…
Lee resides in the in-between – of chaos and order, sin and salvation, joy and pain. There’s a bracing honesty in his refusal to provide easy answers for the complex characters and narratives he creates. You can hear it in the songs of his latest project Risk Everything. They are unflinching in their honesty, uncompromising in their artistry. He possesses the hallmark of all great artists – an ability to find and communicate honest experience no matter how painful or euphoric. – last.fm bio
REVIEW OF REVIEWS
There isn’t much anyone could tell Nathan Lee about either life or living it. A writer and performer since his teens, his resumé is an ongoing tale of highs and lows, from lucrative publishing deals and business success to sleeping in his car, and back up and down again. “I sing to broken people because I am one” quotes his press release, while the burning piano that figures so prominently on the CD sleeve suggests that none of us, including Mr. Lee himself, are in for an easy 40 or so minutes listening.
So it’s something of a relief to hear the combined guitar harmonics and electronic percussion that introduce first track “Open Road”, a song built purposefully around a nervy piano riff that aslo encompasses some jagged guitar work, while a crashing drum part tells its own story. Nathan Lee’s voice is every bit as expressive as his keyboard playing, a bourbon and cigarettes growl that reflects those personal highs and lows mentioned earlier.
With a new collection of heartfelt rock anthems, a weekly concert series in Nashville benefiting World Vision and an upcoming appearance on TLC’s LA Ink, this multi-faceted artist is ready to turn heads and make a difference.
Although he is now on the verge of releasing his fearless, appropriately titled album, Lee’s journey to this point has been filled with many crossroads and career changes. He always came back to music, knowing it was the only thing that could sustain him and allow him to reach people the way that felt best to him.
TRACKLIST
1. Open Road
2. Hold Me Down
3. El Diablo Y El Angel
4. Bring Down The Fire
5. Wrecking Ball
6. The Hourney
7. Bleeding Black
8. Back To You
9. High Speed Low Drag
10. Still
11. Broke And Hollow Man
BEST SHOTS
Flickr photo by Nashville Film Festival
Flickr photo by Nashville Film Festival
