We were lucky to catch up with Drew Nathan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Drew, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was a pretty emotional kid growing up. I remember having a lot of these feelings that I didn’t have the vocabulary for yet or any way of expressing them. I was just a kid, you know? When I was 13 I decided I wanted to play drums and told my parents that I wanted a drum set for my birthday that year. April 5th rolls around and there’s nothing shaped like a drum set wrapped anywhere. My parents hand me a large box all wrapped up and when I open it, there laid a Fender Stratocaster. I was confused. They explained to me that this was their compromise – if I stuck to actually learning guitar, they would buy me a drum set. I taught myself. I watched youtube video after youtube video to learn everything I could. When I was 14 I started playing in the youth group at church and I saw the impact that music could have on other people. Seeing so many people be so emotionally moved by someone’s writing – it stuck, man. That’s when I knew I wanted to write songs until I’m gone.

Drew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Well, first off, hi! I’m Drew Nathan and I’m a songwriter and artist focusing in country music. I have been playing music and writing since I was 13 years old but found my voice in country music. I grew up in the evangelical church world and eventually moved on to become full-time contracted in ministry as a worship leader. I did this for years and loved it but I believe that it also wore me down and burned me out after giving so much of myself to music that I didn’t really feel connected with who I was as a writer. I eventually left with a gaping hole in my heart and, honestly, no desire to ever play music ever again. During the pandemic, this changed.

A good friend of mine said something in passing when we were chatting one day. He said “I think as adults we’re all just trying to become who we were as kids again.” That stuck with me.

I was meditating every day, sometimes for hours at a time. During these meditations I would have visions and memories from my childhood that I haven’t recalled or remembered since. I grew up next to a farm. There was grass and trees and your neighbors for acres and acres. That’s pretty much it. I remembered running with our dogs through our yard. I remembered riding our neighbors horses and driving my pawpaw’s John Deere for fun until it was dark. I remembered an old pair of cowboy boots that basically were glued to my feet. All of a sudden, through these recollections, I had the urge to write music again. I started writing a song called “Free Tonight,” which is now one of my singles I have out. It was the first time I believed in myself again. I knew I had it in me and that I had found my voice. I was having FUN again with music. I was processing some of my favorite memories and reconnecting with my inner child. I felt like a kid again! I am proud for taking music back for myself. I re-claimed all the things I thought I had lost or that was taken from me, musically speaking.

If I could portray one thing to people that want to support me, I would say that writing country music is my way of healing and processing through my past, present, and future. I hope that my songs tug at people’s hearts, whether its a tune about some beers with some buddies or about losing someone you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to share my thoughts and feelings and connect with others over them. I think one of the best feelings in life is when someone is playing a song and you feel the exact same feeling as when that song was getting written. The connection through no relation other than music. That’s where the gold is.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Man, I think the driving goal or mission with my music is being able to have fun and impact people. There were years where music wasn’t fun for me anymore. I never want to get back to that point. My perspective on writing songs now is “as long as I’m having fun doing it, I’m a success.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @drewnathanmusic
• Facebook: @drewnathanmusic
• Twitter: @drewnathanmusic
• Youtube: @drewnathanmusic
• TikTok: @drewnathanmusic

Image Credits
Kristie Crowder and Danny Charland