Album Notes

A word from the reviewers:
"...Think John Lennon playing with the Buena Vista Social Club or Neil Finn backed by The Coral. OK, maybe that sounds weird, but trust me it works brilliantly."
Chris Walker, 2008, Is This Music? (Scotland's Independent Music mag)

And few things that the fans have said:

"lyrical, lilting, cynical, magical music" - Matt
"Always a THAN song for every occasion" - Marje
"REALLY BEAUTIFUL TUNES!" - Sian

And some more info for the curious:
Nathaniel Slade – aka THAN – is a talented songwriter and artist. With his unique acoustic guitar style and a voice that is in equal parts tender and powerful, he is an outstanding performer. His output is prolific and has created a catalogue of consistently excellent songs, including those featured on debut album Heart Music Soul Music.

His influences are rich and varied. Born in Bristol, he was brought up on a diet of classic rock, English folk songs, Welsh carols, orchestral, and choral music. His band played throughout the south during the late 90s Indie-madness, and his love of the blues was nurtured by Bristol Blues legend Eddie Martin, with whom he also performed.

A move to Glasgow saw a focus-shift to experimental analogue recording, and songs influenced by the 70s folk revival. Then came Edinburgh, and an array of new influences: reggae and dub; a hillbilly/country vibe beloved of the hippy scene, and the strong African- Brazilian-Scottish drumming movement key to the city’s famous Beltane Fire Festival.

Nathaniel is not one to sit on his laurels. He broadened his horizons with an adventurous musical and personal motorcycle odyssey through Mexico Guatemala and the USA in 2003; in 2004 he created an as yet unreleased album combining electronica with songwriting; Glastonbury’s Circus field saw him perform comedy songs in 2005 and he collaborated Amanda Palmer of cabaret-punk group The Dresden Dolls at the Edinburgh Festival in the same year. Winter 06-07 saw him take time out of the studio to record a video for the title track of album-in-progress Heart Music Soul Music, in which a neglected girlfriend seduces a piano before pushing it off a cliff to its doom.

From this furnace of musical experience comes forth a sound that is contemporary, listenable and ultimately genre busting. Accessible yet experimental, catchy without being derivative. With haunting melodies and poignant, sharply observed lyrics, THAN has created a compelling, beautiful and original sound.

THAN’s recent debut album HEART MUSIC SOUL MUSIC, was recorded at T-pot studio in Scotland with roots-fusion band The Ruffness, produced by Robin Wynne-Evans who discovered The View, and mastered by John Davies at Alchemy, who has worked with The Kaiser Chiefs, Babyshambles and the Zutons.