Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Jacques.
Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Since I was very young, I wanted nothing more than to play rock n roll music. I picked up the guitar around the age of 8 and tried forming groups with my friends, joining school bands, trying to scratch the itch anywhere I could. Frankly, I wasn’t much good at the guitar and always dreamed of being a singer. I pursued the dream briefly but was sorely disappointed to have too low of a voice to sing the types of music I was into playing back then so concluded that my voice was no good. After my last band split up (a pop-punk unit out of my home state of Massachusetts), I found myself producing/recording music for others using the facilities at Emerson College where I was enrolled studying Audio Post-Production/Sound Design for the Visual Media Arts. Working closely with those artists reignited my passion for creating music and I picked up my acoustic guitar with renewed vigor. I was writing songs but I didn’t like them or didn’t believe in them so I focused on my schooling and prepared for a career in audio. After moving to Los Angeles in 2016 and working in the film industry for a couple of years, I was feeling incredibly lost and low. I turned back to my guitar out of necessity, clawing for something to lift me up, and this time something notable came out, which was the beginnings of “Loud Mind.”
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As I mentioned, a huge part of my journey as a musician has been finding and accepting my voice. I shamed myself for so long for having a bad voice or too low of a voice because most of the music I listened to was populated with higher-voiced male singers. I knew I was never much of a guitarist and still don’t hold myself in high regard there but the voice is far more personal to me. It’s an expression of self like few other things are, so it was difficult to gain pride and courage within. Even in the process of recording “Loud Mind” I was still very new to singing in such a large capacity that I struggled deeply with my own confidence and anxiety. I have found and believe that recognizing what you can do well as an artist and what you can’t is crucial to creating the best work you’re capable of. My own ordeal of chipping away at myself to find what worked for me took years and years of trial, error, embarrassment, determination, and failure. But hey, that’s the path.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I set out to write a concept record, a cohesive story told across 12 tracks and that’s what “Loud Mind” is. I’ve always been fascinated by records that follow a narrative thread all the way through. There’s a certain magic to them, the way they deliver you to another dimension, another realm, in such a unique form of storytelling. It’s something I think more people should be familiar with experiencing, like a good film or tv series.
This sound is inherently western. Old westerns and western music are some of my favorite works of storytelling for their luscious soundscapes and vistas, emotionally driven narratives, and their sweeping dramatic sequence. All of those things I sought to capture in telling this story in this medium. I wanted to transport listeners to the place I created so they could feel and be a part of everything the characters were experiencing. As close as I could get to putting them in step with the main character was my goal from the beginning. When one gets to the end of the record, I’d hope they feel like they went along on Loud Mind’s journey.
Any big plans?
Right now, I’m mostly working on getting this show on the road. Playing locally here in LA, traveling anywhere and everywhere, just trying to spread these tunes like wildfire is my goal. I am also in the studio making a new record so plenty of new things coming down the pike. It’s been a long hard year n then some for everybody and live music is essential to the human experience so I’m thankful it’s coming back. I am truly as eager as anyone to get in a crowded room, blast the eardrums and enjoy that energy again.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nathanjacques.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanjacquesmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanjacquesmusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5Qi4uXnVsvUYD96z_ZaZig
