Q&A with Nathaniel Cole
On August 1, Nathaniel Cole released his new EP - Alpine Goodbye.
(Photo: Studio 2o4)
On August 1, multi-talented Halifax-based creative Nathaniel Cole released his new EP, "Alpine Goodbye". This project marks a departure from his previous work, diving deep into personal experiences following the end of a seven-year relationship.
Leading up to the release, The Boom at Noon sat down with Nathaniel to discuss the EP.
What can you tell us about the album and the themes that are recurring throughout?
I kind of started writing it this time last year. So the beginning of summer last year. I was going through a pretty interesting breakup at the time, living in the same space, but, you know, sleeping in separate rooms and trying to accommodate that lifestyle. So I was in the studio a lot, essentially sleeping in here. I ended up writing a few tracks that, at the time, I was like, okay, this feels like an expression, but I didn't want to blast my shit online. So essentially, I kind of kept that close to the chest, and I sat on it, and I was like, do I even want to release it? It doesn't seem like me in the sense that I didn't want to speak negatively about this person, even though I had strong feelings that were somewhat negative. Artistically, I was like, okay, this feels like the right thing to say.
Around May this year, I started putting it together, and I was like, okay, I just want to express my frustration with how it kind of ended because it was supposed to be cordial, and we were supposed to be friends, but obviously that's always easier said than done in a breakup. I was experiencing a barrage of information from folks about things that were being expressed about me at that time. So this is sort of my way to kind of like rewrite that narrative in a way for myself, sort of not have the last word, but like, have my say in the whole thing.
How does this EP compare to your previous releases, and what are the contrasts and similarities?
In a lot of ways very different because a lot of my music, although I may touch on darker subjects, it's happy, love, intimacy, you know - and this is the complete opposite of that, where it's like the fallout of that in a lot of ways. It's definitely a little bit more of a sombre tone, but the last song, which is actually a single that I released, ‘The Old Me,’ is kind of like that kind of final say of like, okay, the I'm not this person anymore. Or at least I don't want to live that lifestyle anymore. This is sort of in some ways like a kind of like a refresh from that.
What do you hope people get out of the album when they listen to it?
The big theme, I think, in my head is it's just how quickly things can change and to appreciate the moment while it's there… That's sort of cliche, but also how fast things can go to shit. Also know that there’s potentially that other side, like that relationship or that person or you. Where it's like, okay, well, maybe that isn't for me.
Your last release was fully collaborative. Is there any collaboration on this album?
No collaborations. Just me. I didn't feel like anyone was going to be able to speak to that subject matter. My artistic style is very much collaborative. I want to work with people and build the scene up, or at least support the scene, because we're passionate about the scene, and that's the way I feel, too. There are such amazing artists, whether it be monetarily or just for my own passion for it, I want to work with a lot of folks and create that network, and hopefully, all ships rise. But this one, I was just like, no, I got to say this one myself.
How does it feel to release something that's so deeply personal?
Weird. Because usually, I'm kind of scraping the surface. I don't even know how to describe my music. But usually, it's sort of lightly suggestive towards intimacy and whatnot. So these suggestive tongue-in-cheek songs are more like a kind of fun expression. Whereas this is more like… I don't know if it's embarrassing, but it's like airing that dirty laundry… it doesn't feel natural. There's one line in one of the songs that says, ‘You don't have what I need, but I'm not going to put it on my feed,’ and I don't feel the need to do that. I'm not going to go and write a post about it. But I'm trying to say this in a polite way or an artistic way on these tunes.
Do you find your other creative ventures inspire you to create music?
Absolutely, yeah. Most definitely. Especially attending concerts and whatnot. There's so much I'm absorbing that way where I'm like, okay, that sounds cool. It's not to copy, but to be like, okay, that's a vibe. How do I kind of incorporate that? But it's also, whether it be the positive or the negative feelings that happen at work, I feel like, in some ways, the duality of my career allows me to sort of like lean one way or the other. If I'm not satisfied with one, I can kind of be there with another. So that sort of lends itself to its own writing process with a self-critical nature or the imposter syndrome. It kind of helps me a little bit in that way, where I'm working towards trying to speak to those feelings.
Is there a person, place or environment that really inspires you creatively?
Honestly, being in here, [Studio 2o4]. It's just the solitude and the safety of the space. The reason I created this space in a lot of ways is because I found when I was going into other studios, not that I didn't want to support other studios. I just felt that it was hard to get comfortable in those spaces. I was really trying to create that space for myself and then, in turn, for others. The safety or the energy that I try to bring in here - it's just like my little cocoon. To actually harness that energy taking those ideas from daily life. This is where it kind of all sort of comes out.
Also, being in nature and whatnot, obviously, whether it be with film or whatever. Location scouting helps me a lot as well with the visual side of things. I have to go outside of this room to gain that inspiration, but I find a lot of ideas end up happening or starting here.
How important are the visual elements, whether music videos, album art, or photography, when it comes to your own music?
I find that, more often than not, the visuals for my stuff are lacklustre in comparison to some of the things that I'm creating for other artists because I'm creating them specifically with the journey of their vision. I'm essentially taking their auditory vision and creating visuals for it, whereas, for my own stuff, I'm trying to do all of it.
I met the girl in Banff, hence the album title ‘Alpine Goodbye’. We started the relationship in Banff. I met her, and we were both there for one night. She was from Ontario, and we went back and forth for probably a year and a half long-distance. We ended our relationship in Banff, and we took one final trip there. Part of the visuals for this are mountain themes.
Are there songs on the EP that have special meaning to you?
The first track, '24 Hours,’ is the best way I can describe the whole situation. We were there for 24 hours in Banff. It started over 24 hours and ended in 24 hours. It's a very short song, and it just feels like, you know, it was a seven-year relationship, but it feels like it was just like boom, boom. That kind of encapsulates that feeling of, like… Shit. How fast can this happen? In a lot of ways, that last trip to Banff wasn't supposed to be a breakup trip, but it ended up being the last trip.
Do you think this release will bring closure?
I think so, yeah. There were a lot of grumblings from other folks about how I was being perceived. And so, I'm just like, okay, y'all can think what you want. I don't really care. I know what happened. The people who are important to me know what happened. But I still don't want to go off and not say anything at all. I think this is the more tasteful way of saying it, where there's still appreciation in it, and I honestly don't know what was said, but it seemed as though it wasn't appreciation. So I'm trying to combine a little bit of both where I appreciate you and I cherish what happened. But I don't appreciate the bad taste that was left in my mouth over it. So it's my way of kind of washing that.
Nathaniel taking photos at a show at The Marquee (Photo: Studio 2o4)
How has Studio 2o4 evolved to what it is today?
My first location was in Bedford, and the unit number was 204. I was a bachelor at the time and didn't have anyone with me. The whole apartment was Studio 2o4. Every corner of it had something in it. Then, funny enough, the second apartment that I got after that - I needed to move out of that place because I was actually moving in with this partner that this album was about, and the next apartment that became available was 204. And then, interestingly enough, this unit here is 102, which is half of 204. My parents also live in unit 408, which is two times 204. So it's kind of creepy, like 102, 204, 408. These numbers keep appearing in my life. So that's why 2o4.
I wanted to have a nice, cozy space. So, I created that space for myself and started to learn how to record my own music and try to get good at making music. I started recording my friends, and then they would release the music under Studio 2o4. It was just kind of a thing at the time… it wasn't much. It was just a little thing on a scratchpad, an idea. I was doing concert photography at the time and portraits as well, but I wanted to get better at portraits. I started taking portraits of people and then one day, specifically, I was shooting a portrait for an artist friend, and the weather was bad. We didn't have the ability to shoot outdoors. I just makeshift some light, with lamps and whatnot, and we made some really cool pictures. I bought a projector from somebody, and I started messing around with it. I bought some work lights and started with those, and I had little binder dividers - the coloured plastic binder dividers and I taped those over the lights for gels. That was my first lighting setup. I shot a lot of photos with just that setup and then moved spaces. At this point, I was starting to monetize it a little bit so I had some money to reinvest and bought some new lights and some backdrops and whatnot. I didn't want to buy anything with photography on it - that means it’s more expensive. So, my backdrop is a bike holder, where you hang your bike from Home Depot and then a stud, a joist hanger, and a shower curtain rod. It’s a makeshift backdrop. You put a piece of paper and a light on somebody, and it looks good. That's kind of like the progression of where it went. Now it's kind of bigger than I expected it to be.
Do you find bringing other musician’s brands and visions to life influences your music?
I think I have an aesthetic that I feel like people come to me for. I do want to want the client's or my collaborator's work to look different than mine. But I feel like they are sort of one and the same. I feel like it's sort of cut from the same cloth in a lot of ways. My stamp is sort of always on it. I feel like I do get that comment a lot, which I appreciate. As far as the artist influencing me, 100%, there are so many incredible people who give me so many good ideas. There are so many cool folks in our scene, in our city, that it's hard not to be inspired.
What would you say to someone who was going through a similar situation and hopes to share their experiences creatively?
It's like a pill you have to swallow: Do I want to say something about this or not? And you have to be okay with it in yourself. As artists, I think we always want to say something or express it somehow. But I would say, definitely don't hesitate on it, but let it be cathartic.
How will it feel to have people listening to the album and have your feelings out there?
From a not-so-nice way, it'll feel good to have that final say, but also, from an artistic perspective, I think they're all kind of they're bangers. I think people will enjoy it. They're not sombre tunes, necessarily. They don't feel sombre, they have some energy to them. So I feel like that will hopefully give people a little bit of a jolt, even if they may be going through that hard time, it will be an uplifting kind of feeling, or at least pulling them a little bit away from that feeling. It's like a cathartic middle finger.
Alpine Goodbye is out everywhere now.
