Biography

Guitarist, singer & songwriter based in the U.S.A.

Nathan Parent is 19 years old, currently living in his hometown of Ashland, Wisconsin. His musical career began at an early age; listening along with his oldest brother while he played his favorite albums. (Most notably the Spin Doctors album, “Pocket Full of Kryptonite.”) As the years passed, more and more musical artists passed through his ears and he developed an appreciation for musicians like: Miles Davis, Neil Peart, Jimmy Page, Status Quo, and many others. When he entered high school he was a percussionist in the concert band and marching band. During his sophomore year he joined the Jazz Band and also a small garage band with his good friend, Erik Hagglund. While playing in their band as a drummer, he picked up the guitar and Erik taught him how to play, “The Boys are Back in Town”; and from there on he involved himself completely with understanding every aspect of guitar and songwriting.

Throughout high school Nathan was involved in many different musical groups and adventures, most notably his co-created band, “Guilty Pleasure.” In his Junior year he took lessons from a very talented and cool UMD college Jazz guitarist, Brian Johnson; and around the same time, discovered a very fascinating musical artist, Sondre Lerche. Soaking up influences from both artists like a sponge, he began absorbing many new ideas and styles to aid in the development of his own playing. At the age of 17, he and his band joined a musical competition called “Launch Pad” in their home state of Wisconsin and progressed all the way to the finals. Although good, they did not win; so they disbanded and readied themselves for college.

The following autumn, Nathan attended Northland College in his hometown of Ashland, Wi. During which time he discovered a deeper appreciation for the music around him and started recording his own songs, but after only one semester he quit school and dedicated all of his time to learning the songwriting craft and networking with fellow musicians around the world! Many of his biggest influences come from the city of Bergen, Norway, such as: Sondre Lerche, Sgt. Petter, The Royalties, Matias Tellez, HP Gundersen, Mari Persen, Julian Berntzen, and Professor Pez.

During the summer of 2007, Nathan ran into a local musician and sound engineer, Ryan Rusch, and they began a recording collaboration. With Ryan’s help, Nate successfully recorded his first quality song, “Please, Stop the Rush!” (which he had only written the night before!) As the summer wore on, forces in his life drew him to make a decision and he moved out to the city of Bowie, Maryland. There he lived with his good friend Marty Perkins, (an outspoken XTC and post punk fan) who helped him to shape his music and songwriting in a new direction; giving him the strength to share his songs and empowering him to strive for more. In January of 2008, he made his maiden voyage out of the US to travel to Bergen, Norway! While there, he met many of his favorite influences and recorded with Sgt. Petter Folkedal and Tommy Haltbakk (from “The Royalties”). He also played a show for a few of his other favorite musicians at the famous “Cafe Opera!”

Recently, Nathan has moved back to his hometown and has begun work on his debut album, with Ryan Rusch at the controls. More will always be heard from this up-and-coming star, so stay tuned!