Name: Nate Fredrick
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Nationality: American
Current release: Nate Fredrick's new, self-titled EP with The Wholesome Boys is out via Wanda.

If you enjoyed this interview with Nate Fredrick and would like to keep up to date with his music, visit his official website. He is also on Instagram, Facebook, and Soundcloud.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

I create best when I let myself experience my life, and once I’ve experienced enough to bring about inspiration, then I create. “Daydream” is a good example of that.

The message of that song is to follow your dreams and not be afraid to get caught in the rain. It’s gonna be worth it, and there is no time to waste!

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

I am primarily melody-driven, but sometimes the lyrics do come first. It still has to do with the melody for me though — matching those lyrics to a melody makes them all become one.

Music and lyrics are separate until you can match the feeling of the lyrics to the music and that’s when the song really is created.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

I think that a piece is always a growing, moving entity.

Once an idea is started, it is always being reimagined. That is the beauty of a song.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I experienced this with my debut record Different Shade of Blue.



Writing for this record with some of my best friends was one of the most formative experiences I’ve had creating a cohesive album to date. Before then, I had seen records as just a collection of songs. This record was truly a labor of love and came with so much anticipation leading up to its release.

Once it was out into the world, I had sort of a postpartum-like feeling. I realize that making a record or even writing a song is a process-driven sport, and sometimes the elated feeling of releasing something can be underwhelming compared to the process of creating it. I now take time to enjoy the creation throughout the process instead of striving for that end result. Life is about the journey and appreciating the moment more than the destination we are traveling to.

“Inside the present is the gift, and it’s the only one we get” is a lyric from “Shortcut to Waco” on the new project. That’s the mindset I’m striving for.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

Music for me is just a form of expression.

That being said, expression comes in so many forms. Finding a way, or multiple ways, to express ourselves is a wonderful part of being human.