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08.21.03
I didn't think much was going on in South Dakota
until I had the honor of talking with Nathan Payant,
who just released his debut album, Ready to Fall. Now
I know differently — this 21-year-old is really
starting to make his mark in the music world! Read
on to learn more about this emerging musician, who proves
through his music that he is wise beyond his years.
Okay, Nate. Give us some background. What inspired
you to make music?
Well I've always lived in South Dakota, and I have
been surrounded by music all of my life. My Dad plays
guitar and was in a band when he was younger. I remember
when he'd play 'La Bamba' for me all the time when I
was young. That was my favorite tune! I got my first
guitar when I was in 6th grade, and I've been playing
ever since.
 I
didn't really start writing my own material until a
couple years ago. I always loved listening to James
Taylor and Kansas, and I always wanted to try to write
my own stuff. So one day I just started to experiment.
I've learned a lot about writing music and lyrics in
the past few years, and my writing has really "matured."
That brings me to today and where I'm at right now.
I'm still inspired by James Taylor, but I also listen
to a lot of John Mayer, Radiohead, Ben Harper, Dave
Matthews, David Gray, Ari Hest, and countless new faces
I've heard on the Internet (Tanner Walle, Adam Stewart,
Jason Adamo, etc.) Oh...I can't forget one of my favorite
singers, Frank Sinatra.
Did you have any formal training?
I'm a music major with a theatre minor, and I have
one more semester before I graduate. I am in the process
of applying/auditioning for graduate schools for Vocal
Performance. I'm trying to keep my options open as
far as "what I want to be when I grow up." We'll see
where life takes me...right now I'm really enjoying
the ride!
Give us a little information on Ready to Fall.
What was your goal when making this CD?
The album, Ready to Fall, is my first attempt
at recording any of my music. Plus, most of the songs
on this album were recorded when I first wrote them.
After playing them so many times now, they tend to change
in the way I sing and play them.
My main goal in making this CD was just to get some
of my tunes recorded and hopefully start to spread my
music to anyone who wants to listen.
 What
are some of the most important themes on the CD?
Love, my childhood and changes in my life. I've gone
through many changes in the past few years as far as
love and my life are concerned. Plus I'm always thinking
back to my childhood days and the fun I had. The easiest
way for me to express myself is to write it down, and
that's where most of these songs came from.
Are the songs personal in nature? I don't hear
a lot of storytelling, so I'm assuming it's all from
the heart...
Most of the songs are personal in nature, but a few
of them are just concepts that most people can relate
to. Early Years is a song about my childhood,
and everything I mentioned in the song is something
that actually happened. I grew up in a very small town,
so we always had to come up with things to do. That's
where lines like 'driving up and down the same old street,
running red lights' and 'daring to stay out past midnight'
come from. We had a curfew in our town for kids under
18. It was always fun to try to stay out past midnight
without getting caught! The song Forever for
my fiancé when we first started dating.
What was it like writing the songs? Did you have
some from years back or were they all written when you
decided to make the record?
Most of these songs were written within the past year.
I think the oldest song on this album is Am I Doing
the Right Thing, and I wrote there about a year
and a half ago. The newest one on the album is Since
I Found You, and my Dad wrote the lyrics for that
one. We plan to do some more collaboration in the future.
Ooh, that sounds cool! So how did the album-making
process work out with your record company, C-Sharp Productions?
Did they fund the album?
The president of C-Sharp Productions, Chad Sharp,
signed me on to the independent label about a year ago.
The label funded everything for the album, and I'm to
pay them back in CD and merchandise sales. Once everything
is paid back, then I start seeing some of the profit.
We went pretty quick through this, and we tried to do
everything as cheap as possible. I look at it as kind
of test album. For example, I was lucky to have my
brother-in-law design the front and back cover. He
is also the one helping me with my upcoming website
(www.nathanpayant.com).
"Like a Child", I just adore that song, and I'd
love to hear about its background. What did it evolve
from?
This was a very fun song for me to write!! One day
I was thinking about song ideas, and I thought about
how people always think back to how fun their childhood
was, but now those days are long gone. We go through
our busy lives with worries piled a mile high. In the
song, I try to explain certain things that most people
can relate to, and that we should 'hold on to the memories,
though they seem far away, you've got to live each,
throw your worries away, live each day like a child.'
So basically even though those times are gone, we can
still hold on to the memories and try to go through
life like a child because they seem to have no worries.
 When
you were writing this album, did you come up with the
tunes first or the lyrics? Or both?
I tend to always write the music first. Everyone
goes about writing in a different way, and I've always
found that writing the music first is easier for me.
The only exception is the song that I co-wrote with
my Dad. The lyrics were done first, and I just added
the music to complete it.
How has the response been to "Ready to Fall"? Do
you attribute much of its success to the Internet?
So far the response has been pretty good. For the
most part I've been selling it to a lot of friends and
family so far. I am just now getting started on trying
to promote it on the Internet since it just got done.
But I know that the Internet plays a HUGE role in getting
my name, as well as all of the other singer/songwriters'
names out there. I hope to eventually sell a good number
of CDs over the Internet because I feel it is the best
way to get my music out to people in so many different
places that normally wouldn't get the chance to hear
it.
I hear you're a big Ari Hest fan and I know the
whole "Aberdeen" story. (Although most states have a
town called Aberdeen – for example, NJ does – the song
Aberdeen is really about Aberdeen, South Dakota) Do
you two plan to jam together anytime soon?
Yes, I'm a HUGE Ari fan!!! I think he is one of the
most talented singer/songwriters I have ever come across!
He has great knack for melody and his lyrics reach out
to everyone! These two things, combined with his great
voice and musicianship, make him one of the best in
my eyes! As far as us jamming together, I'd love to!
Ari is obviously VERY busy with touring, so my chances
are slim. But maybe someday I'll by lucky enough to
play with him again!
I hope so! Do you want to stay in South Dakota
or do you plan on venturing out to a big east or west
coast city?
Actually I plan on moving to wherever I get accepted
in to graduate school. I've really got my eyes set
on the University of Colorado in Boulder. I really
love that area and the music scene is pretty good there
as well! Someday I'd love to at least play in cities
on both the east and west coasts! Like I said, I'm
keeping my options open about everything! Who knows...maybe
I'll be out in New Jersey with you guys someday! :)
What's touring look like for the fall? (Your answer
should include something about coming to New Jersey
and performing live for Dan and Kristen.)
I actually plan to pick up the pace on touring once
school starts. I was pretty busy this summer with work
on weekends, etc., so I couldn't play as much as I would
have liked. But once school starts I'd like to be playing
somewhere almost every weekend if possible! I have
a whole list of places that I will be contacting. Everyone
can stay updated on my touring schedule at www.nathanpayant.com.
And I'd LOVE to come play some shows out east! I'll
let you know as soon as something like that is in the
works. Actually I've been talking with a couple of
other singer/songwriters, and I plan to do a couple
of collaboration shows with them. Just check the site
for updates!
What's in your CD player right now? Who are your
biggest musical influences?
In my car stereo I have a John Mayer compilation that
I made of unreleased stuff. And in my apartment stereo
I have the soundtrack to '110 in the Shade.' That is
the next musical that I will be auditioning for.
I am really into musicals and performing. I have a
huge collection of original cast productions if anyone
is interested in them!!!
I listed some of my influences before, but I can name
a few again. Ari Hest, David Gray, Ben Harper, John
Mayer, James Taylor, Radiohead, Dave Matthews Band,
Jack Johnson, Leonard Cohen, Matt Patrick, and countless
others!!!
You've got a spiffy new web site coming out. Tell
us a little bit about it!
Yeah, I'm pretty excited about my new website! At
my new site (www.nathanpayant.com),
you will be able to find out anything and everything
about me; everything from upcoming shows and performance
history to a biography and booking information. My
brother-in-law helped me with the design and he will
be the webmaster until I figure out how to do everything!
I also have a new message board that can be accessed
by going to my site! Check it out...it will be updated
often!!
 And
for fun, tell us something crazy about this guy Nathan
Payant!
My brother-in-law and I have an ongoing obsession
with sheep. It's a very long and funny story. Someday
I'll put some funny pictures with an explanation on
the website!! :)
Ummm...okay! I'll take your word on that (and would
love to see the photos!) So what can our readers expect
from you in the coming months?
I have been writing new material for a second release.
The new stuff I'm working on is quite different from
the stuff on the first CD. Also I plan to add a band
to my next album...stay tuned for more details on that!
I'd like to rework some of the songs on the first album
and combine them with new material to make my second
album. Any suggestions on which songs you'd like to
hear with a band?
Also expect me to be touring at a place near you!
Just email me with suggestions...I'm open to playing anywhere!!
(Nathan@nathanpayant.com)
Nate, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to
us! It's been a pleasure! Best of luck with your rising
musical career!
Interviewed by Kristen
Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com
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