I met Nate Maingard at one of Kommetjie’s few coffee shops, Expresso.Kom. The Scarborough resident was dressed spiffingly as usual and as he takes a seat across from me his nose-ring glints in the late afternoon sun.
‘I am really busy at the moment, working hard, getting the word out there,’ he says.‘This month in particular, a lot of different things have been bearing fruit. People in the crowd that I don’t even know are singing along to my songs – and I’m like ‘Where’d you people come from?!’’
Nate only started working as a professional musician around 5 months ago, but has been involved in music for a very long time. He began playing guitar at 14 years and has been interested in songs, specifically lyrics, since he was a small child. Since then Nate has busked in the UK as well as running an open-mike night in Camden Town.
‘Singing always came first, but now I have created my own distinctive style of guitar playing,’ he says.
Earlier this year Nate quit his job in the health food industry to follow his career as a professional musician. ‘I used to think ‘What is music? Just an ego thing!’’ he says. ‘But then I realised that living my passion and following my dream was the most important thing I could do with my life.’
Above all, Nate Maingard is a brilliant lyricist. Listening to his album I am enthralled at his ability to string words together in a way that is altogether intriguing, imaginative and chilling. Combined with sensitive guitar chords, it’s enough to give you spine tingles.
‘Music is one of the most powerful art forms in the world for affecting instant emotional response in people,’ he says.‘I wanna tell the inner archetypal monologues which we all share: not feeling like we fit in, overwhelmed by the pace of today…I like to encourage people to slow down and appreciate life, appreciate ourselves and to appreciate ourselves in one another.’
Nate’s dream to start working together with NGO’s has already starting taking shape: he has just finished a song he wrote specifically for the local anti-Fracking movement.Nate is planning a summer tour in Europe, but for now will continue to focus on building his name locally.
To listen to and buy Nate Maingards album ‘The Wild Land’ , CLICK HERE
Catch Nate’s next at his next gig - Cape Farmhouse’s on Sat 17 September.t. For more info find him on Facebook
WORDS: Rachel Briant
IMAGES: Nicky Newman
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