Nathen was born in Montreal and has been a professional vocalist / bassist / guitarist since 1977, graduating from Concordia University’s Music Program in 1985. Since calling Vancouver his home in 1992, he’s enjoyed making music with numerous local, national and international acts, including ABBA-Cadabra, Randy Bachman, Keith Bennett (Tin Sandwich), Joani Bye & The Homewreckers, Susan Crowe, The Euphorics, Gary Fjellgaard, Babe Gurr, Russell Marsland, Lowry Olafson, Mark Perry, The Aaron Pritchett Band, Lyndia Scott, Shari Ulrich, Bill Usher and Edith Wallace. He also performs regularly with his buddies in The Hitmen (www.TheHitmen.ca).
Nathen’s musical life began in the Catholic church of his youth, and he’s remained active in liturgical / sacred / inspirational music ever since. He performs regularly at many local churches, including Unity of Vancouver, Spiritual Centre for Dynamic Living, Canadian Memorial United Church, St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, The Centre For Spiritual Living in White Rock, and Unity of the Valley in White Rock.
Nathen believes that his purpose in this life is to inspire and heal through his music. His debut CD “Little By Little” is a powerful realization of his purpose, fully intertwining his two passions of music and spirituality. (Nathen is currently writing songs for his second CD.)
In an effort to build relationships and get his music out into the world, Nathen attends and performs at as many music conferences and events as he can. (In January, he performed at the Posi Awards in Orlando, FL; in April, he’ll be performing at the Affiliated New Thought Network Conference in Phoenix, AZ; and in September, he’ll be performing at the Circle Of Love Gathering on Quadra Island, BC.) As a direct result of experiences like these, Nathen now performs at House Concerts (www.ConcertsInYourHome.com), Kirtans (devotional chanting nights) and New Thought churches in both Canada and the
U.S. (including Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Seattle, Ojai, Phoenix, Kansas City and Orlando).
Nathen now presents his music with his voice and with the NS Stick (http://www.Stick.com/instruments/ns), an 8-stringed electronic instrument that can be plucked like a bass, strummed like a guitar, or tapped with both hands like a piano.
PRESS
Nathen Aswell is a gifted musician and songwriter from British Columbia. Many of you will recognize Nathen from Sound Connections and from the house band at the Empower Posi Awards and from those amazing "jams" out under the stars. Nathen is a totally amazing guitarist and bassist and his songs have rhythm!
These songs invite the listener to take a break from rushing around trying to complete the items on your "to do" list and instead, to breathe in the moment, allowing your good to find you and to realize that in this one moment you can do or be anything that you desire.
One of my favorites from this CD is the song "Here and Now". This song speaks about the importance of realizing that we have the power to restore our lives to the present moment. Instead of worrying about the future or regretting the past, we can embrace the "now" and make positive change.
"Choose Love" invites us to always choose the path of love. When faced with those everyday decisions about which path to choose, we can always find the right path by choosing the path that reflects love. Who wouldn't like a little more love in their lives?
"Little by Little" reminds us that every day is a new adventure and that anything we might undertake begins with that first step. Nathen reminds us that it is sometimes impossible to see the outcome of change when you're in the middle of it. With a totally cool groove and a positive spin, this song reminds us that everyone is undergoing the same remarkable possibility of positive change and that things happen "little by little".
I enjoy this CD. The songs are all catchy and upbeat, without being preachy. And, the songs all give us a glimpse into the wonderful energy and presence of Nathen.
Sue K Riley, emPower Music and Arts /www.EmpowerMA.com (June 2010)
“Little By Little” by Nathen Aswell, in addition to being an exceptionally produced collection of songs that support a conscious life, uses the power of vibration to create a spiritually interactive listener experience. The presentation opens and closes with a ceremonial ringing of a meditation bell, subconsciously preparing the listener for an energy-balancing, mystically cleansing connection to the Cosmos. Nathen sings directly to the soul, using a combination of professional excellence, entertaining melodies and a sincere delivery, including exceptional a capella performances and engaging harmonies. Song lyrics include messages for action-oriented personal growth, universal love and divine oneness. The musical style varies from light percussion and acoustic to adult contemporary, smooth jazz and a little funk. “Breathe” is a daring a capella duet with hair-raising harmonies that balance male and female energy in divine communion. “I Can See You” is a Divine embrace of omni-present love. “Choose Love” celebrates free will in a relevant distinction between fear and love-based decisions. “Psalm 96” is a work of artistic genius, blending the human voice with tastefully engineered effects to passionately deliver ancient poetry to soothe the body, calm the mind and regenerate the soul. “Little By Little” is an introspective journey within, appropriate for any age and nearly every belief system.
Rosemarie Ashley, Positive Music Association (March 2010)
Set to funky little tunes and energetic grooves, singer-songwriter Nathen Aswell’s lyrics have the type of messages that are empowering, inspiring, enlightening, and relaxing. In fact, his lyrics read like mantras or meditations, or better, words in a "self-help" book. "Get out of your head and just do it... Animate, energize, stimulate, go to it... Do that thing that makes you sing..." How many times you have found a song in your head that repeats over and over and over? And how many times has a song left you in a good mood? And how many times has a song left you in a bad one? It happens to me all of the time. What can I say? I am audio orientated... Highly sensitive in that area. This week someone sent me a YouTube video featuring an artist from Detroit that sang about how "cold" it was there, and meant that in every sense of the word. I could feel her pain and her lyrics stuck with me... Stuck with me like a bad Dodger Dog. Urgghh! Not so good for the sub-conscious. Because after two days of singing her hook, I needed to purge. But, thank goodness I had something to replace it with. “Little By Little" by Nathen Aswell is the type of audio that you should listen to. Not necessarily for entertainment purposes, but for a better well being. In other words, these songs do a mind, body, and spirit good. Think of his music as something to power-up with when you are running low on energy. Like one of those protein bars that are complete or well-balanced. Or you could say, "A Nathen Aswell song a day keeps the head doctor away!" I think you get the picture. But, if you are the type that reads "self-help" books, takes yoga, believes in a higher power, and is inspired by Truth - this is the CD for you. So, the next time you have a bad case of the blahs, be sure to check out "Do That Thing", "Be Still" “Little By Little”, and "I Am Walking" by Nathen Aswell. You will have a whole new attitude!
Jennifer Washington, Acoustic Fuel Co-Op
When Vancouver, British Columbia’s Nathen Aswell talks about his debut CD “Little by Little” one can’t help but think that he’s talking about a journey. In the liner notes, he writes about the journey of making the 13 tracks that make up the CD. The cover shot features a path through the woods, no doubt taken on one of those crisp fall days that the West Coast of Canada is famous for. And the songs themselves reflect a multi-faceted journey: a musical quest and a personal one. I first met Nathen at the (Chapman) Stick seminar he hosted in Vancouver back in the mid-90s. At the time he was playing Stick. Since then, he has moved to NS Stick, yet another journey. On NS Stick, as this CD shows, Nathen has found his instrumental voice. Originally a bass player, the bass grooves on “Little by Little” are tight, solid, and crisp, with no shortage of pop-funk feel. The NS Stick chords and melodic accompaniments are likewise crisp and can’t help but reflect the influence of another wonderful NS Stick player: Don Schiff. Nathen’s musical voice is strong - think of well crafted, Police inspired pop rock tunes – but the real highlight is Nathen’s actual voice. This guy can sing! Open, honest, real, enveloping, you can hear all this and more the instant Nathen’s vocals start. The lyrics are coming from a deeper place and it is as if Nathen has found a way into that deeper place and effortlessly lets those words launch themselves, with passion and commitment, out into the world. Of course the amount of effort it takes to sound effortless is obvious, but since the art is to conceal the art, then Nathen’s singing can only be described as masterful. Two songs stand out for me. The title track, “Little By Little” has gotten into my head, and pleasantly doesn’t seem to want to get out, and his voice on “Psalm 96” is simply too much to try and define in these words. I keep going back to the idea of “Little by Little” as the reflection and representation of a journey. It sounds like Nathen’s journey towards music and personal discovery, or perhaps little snapshots taken along the way. Either way, many thanks to Nathen for sharing both the road and some of his stops along the road with me. If you’re looking for some inspirational, self-affirming music to accompany you on your journeys, I invite you to check out Nathen’s music too.
Jim Reilly, StickNews (an online newsletter for the Chapman Stick community)
If you ever need some listening music that is positive, happy and uplifting then you must acquire a copy of a CD called "Little By Little". Vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Nathen Aswell has recorded an upbeat and uplifting performance of 11 originals. Nathen's crystal-clear voice is well out front in this recording and his vocal performances show that he has an incredible range (a la Stevie Wonder) and knows how to use it. There are plenty of styles presented on this CD. Just when you think it is going to be contemporary rock/pop throughout, Nathen comes up with a composition called "More Than Enough" that takes you back to the 30s style. This song is complete with a well-done vocal imitation of a trumpet solo just like the Mills Brothers (remember them?) used to do. The next track on the CD is a smooth jazz waltz called "Just Like This". Nathen's vocal is accompanied by guitarist Daryl Jahnke and drummer Shawn Soucy. A great duet sung on a song called "Breathe" features a flawless a cappella performance by Nathen and Linda Kidder. Another composition called "Psalm 96" and sung solo a cappella by Nathen uses reverb very effectively and the performance is simply the best. Other guest performers on the CD include drummer Phil Robertson, guitarist Andreas Schuld, cellist Finn Manniche and percussionist Lauri Lyster. The CD was mixed and mastered by Miles Hill. To purchase this great CD, go to www.bruha.com or www.nathenaswell.com on the internet, or e-mail nathenaswell@shaw.ca.
Bob Hales, president of Vancouver Musicians' Ass., Local 145, in "UPBeat" newsletter
Vocalist Nathen Aswell treads an easy-listening path to enlightenment on his debut CD Little By Little. Blue-eyed soul, lite funk and upbeat pop combine with Aswell's assured delivery for a pleasant, unbumpy, ride.
Shawn Conner, The Vancouver Courier
A fine, evidently trained Vancouver singer musically mapping his spiritual quest. You'll hear flashes of influences like Steely Dan occasionally but this is mostly an original set with some inspired arrangements.
John P. McLaughlin, The Province
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