New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "I know I'm old fashioned, but I'm a firm believer in the LP"
Admittedly Anxious in 'Real Life' But Wonderfully Articulate in Song, Emerging Indie Jeremy Nash Evokes the Wanderlust of Jackson Browne, the Biting Subtext of
Paul Simon and More
An Authentic, Thoughtful Wordsmith Emerges on the
Music Scene, as Nash Displays an Ear for Hooks and for a Witty Twist in the Tale via the Deceptively Catchy 'Getaway Driver' - A 'Break-Up Album With New York' Evolves Into a 'Break-Up Album with his 20s'
An authentic, thoughtful wordsmith with an ear for catchy hooks and a twist in the tale, songwriter Jeremy Nash feels like a throwback to the 1970's wanderlust of
Jackson Browne and the biting subtext of Paul Simon. Nash also brings a raw emotional element to his songwriting, which he attributes to years of listening to
Counting Crows as a kid, and to
Ryan Adams as an adult. Elmore talked about the influences in their Exclusive Premiere of the title track to Nash's upcoming 'Getaway Driver':
ELMORE MAGAZINE - Exclusive Song Premiere
https://www.elmoremagazine.com/2015/10/music-news/jeremy-nash-explores-universal-emotions-with-getaway-driver
Getaway Driver is Jeremy Nash's new album, set for digital release on October 30th.
Nash credits the raw, emotional elements in his songwriting to years of listening to
Counting Crows and Ryan Adams. His authentic lyrics and catchy tunes also bring to mind bits of
Jackson Browne and Paul Simon- not a bad combo. After spending close to a decade in New York City's folk scene, a move was made to Nashville where he has the ability to truly shine as a writer and performer. Following 2012's debut, Too Far Apart, Nash wanted to dig deeper into his feelings and depict 21st century experiences through anxieties, isolation, and our longing for human connection. Getaway Driver is the result. "I'm not the best at expressing myself in "real life," so for me, songwriting gives me a chance to connect to people on a deeper emotional level," Nash has said. Stream the title track off Nash's new album below. He says it's a happy accident of a song. "Every once in a while, I set out to write a happy song, but it rarely goes the way I expect it to. I was listening to a lot of
Steve Earle and thought it'd be fun to write a song about a getaway driver in his country-rock style. Turns out I had a lot more to say about living with fear and anxiety, and it ended up with the unusual distinction of being both intensely personal and broadly accessible." For more on Jeremy Nash, visit Facebook or bandcamp .
On his upcoming album 'Getaway Driver', Nash emerges as an engaging storyteller with a healthy respect for the LP format and for the cathartic release offered by songwriting - especially for someone who is admittedly uncomfortable in his day-to-day skin, and often haunted by crippling anxiety. He comments: "I'm not the best at expressing myself in "real life," so for me, songwriting gives me a chance to connect to people on a deeper emotional level. Most of the songs on the album see me trying (and sometimes failing) to make these connections, fighting through various fears and anxieties in the process. Even though my songs frequently appear to be talking about the hopes, challenges and heartbreak of romantic relationships, very often the romance I refer to is really a metaphor for dealing with issues of trust, commitment and belief applicable to many other aspects of life. In many ways, the record to me really was a breakup album with New York, though once I moved to Nashville I realized it was more about breaking up with your 20s."
Nash's journey has taken him from New York/New Jersey to Nashville, and his geographical roots are evident on the polished 11-song folk-rock album. From the quiet isolation and envy of highlight track 'Killin' It in California' to the propulsive Americana-infused title song, 'Getaway Driver' (inspired by Steve Earle,) to the resignation and yearning of 'Game Over', Nash aims to "explore our longing for human connection and the often crippling apprehension that goes along with it." It is the rare writer who can mine 'Ghostbusters', seasonal affective disorder, 'The Big Lebowski' and paralyzing pessimism on one cohesive album, but as you'll see in his song notes below, Jeremy Nash manages to do so with a deft hand. The CD will be released digitally on October 30th, with broader distribution set for early 2016. Listen to the title track, here:
https://soundcloud.com/jeremy-nash/getaway-driver-1
A regular on the NYC club scene, Nash has confirmed a CD release concert for October 27th at Rockwood
Music Hall in NYC - his first full-band show in over a year. A U.S. tour is in the works for the months ahead, with details to be announced soon.
He adds these thoughts:
"I know I'm old fashioned, but I'm a firm believer in the LP. You can't get inside a songwriter's head in 15 minutes; you need more time to discover more dimensions. Maybe that's why I made "Getaway Driver," or maybe I just had 11 songs I needed the world to hear. I'm not the best at expressing myself in "real life," so for me, songwriting gives me a chance to connect to people on a deeper emotional level. Most of the songs on the album see me trying (and sometimes failing) to make these connections, fighting through various fears and anxieties in the process. Turning 30 while making the album, I was going through a lot of self-reflection and uncertainty. I'd spent eight years living in the same Brooklyn apartment, and for the last few years I'd started wondering if I was in the right place to continue growing and learning. This wanderlust expressed itself in a number of ways throughout the 11 songs, written over a three-year period of my late 20's, ranging from simple breakup songs ("So Long, So Long" and "It's All Gone Now") to deep metaphorical dives into my neuroses ("Getaway Driver" and "Waiting for the Fall"). After wrapping up the recording, I moved to Nashville, where I spent nine months looking for a sense of purpose before finally feeling ready to put my songs out into the world. Now a 30-something resident of Tennessee, I still feel a strong connection to these songs and that time of my life. Those fears and anxieties may never leave me, but at least I know I'm not alone."
Song notes - By Jeremy Nash:
Getaway Driver
Every once in a while, I set out to write a happy song, but it rarely goes the way I expect it to. I was listening to a lot of
Steve Earle and thought it'd be fun to write a song about a getaway driver in his country-rock style. Turns out I had a lot more to say about living with fear and anxiety, and it ended up with the unusual distinction of being both intensely personal and broadly accessible. Happy accident indeed.
Waiting for the Fall
One day in the
Spring of 2011, against all odds, I took in a breath of New York City air that brought me back to my college summers on Martha's Vineyard. I spent four summers out there singing in an a cappella group called The Vineyard Sound, which not only cemented my love of vocal harmony, but exposed me to a lot of older music I'd missed, growing up in the 90's. Anyway, this breath of NYC garbage air somehow reminded me of days (and nights) at the beach, but also of the inevitable heartbreak that comes with summer coming to an end. I tend to put up a lot of defenses and expect the worst, so I got to writing a song tying all of those feelings together.
Game Over
Here's a song on the album that exemplifies my yearning for a fresh start after years in New York. I wrote the first half in my Brooklyn apartment, and finished the song up a few days later on Martha's Vineyard, so the process reflects the journey expressed in the song itself. Being a big sci-fi fan, I remember writing the first verse, and when I got to the tag at the end, all I could think of was Bill Paxton in "Aliens." "Game over, man!" Sometimes you've just got to go with your gut and not overthink it.
Killin' It in California
I guess this song is equal parts about envy and seasonal affective disorder. Those NYC winters can really get you thinking about where you'd rather be, and for me that's usually at the beach. The chorus shot out of me like a cannon, but I struggled for years trying to put the whole picture together. I played various drafts of the song at my favorite Greenwich Village open mic, Caffe Vivaldi, and got some invaluable suggestions from some of my favorite songwriting minds, all of which found their way into the song in some form or other.
One of These Days
It's a pretty simple song about being haunted by your ex. There's definitely a "Ghost Busters" element to it on some level, maybe because of the New York connection, but it also shows how memories can drive you crazy. At first listen, the chorus can be mistaken for a hopeful declaration, but it's really the ex telling the singer to hang tight and let the feelings fade over time. Easier said than done.
Reach Out for That Rope
It's one of my songs where I'm basically trying to give myself a pep talk while struggling to hang on to any sort of positive outlook. If you can see through all the pessimism, I think there's really a light at the end of that tunnel. You've just got to be ready to embrace it.
Everything Is As It Seems
What can I say, I think too much. This one's another example of me trying to give myself a pep talk through this imaginary woman who's got it all figured out. I don't remember where the verse about religion came from, but it's influenced a lot of my recent writing, especially since moving to Nashville. For the recording, I brought in my friend Jamie Bendell to sing the duet. She's not only a fantastic singer, but she's also a fellow full-time member of the Overthinkers Club, so it made perfect sense for me.
So Long, So Long
"Good luck! Not that you need it." I remember hearing that at a friend's show, and it got the gears turning on this one. I actually ended up rewriting some of the lyrics in the studio to make it a little less hopeless. The main character is definitely feeling insecure at the end of this relationship, but I wanted him to give her the sense that he'll be ok without her, even if he really won't. He just wants her to be happy, and making a scene is the last thing he wants to do here. I had fun putting my background vocal skills to use, trying to recreate the sort of old-timey sound in "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," the opening song in my favorite film, "The Big Lebowski."
Flawless Diamond
I actually got the inspiration for this one from a 2005 Michael Showalter comedy called "The Baxter." He plays a guy who's left at the altar because his bride's true love shows up at the last minute, sort of an inverse of your typical romance movie. I tossed the goofy facial expressions and ran with the rest. Since it was the last song I wrote for the album and hadn't been played live, we were able to really play around with it in the studio. Ray Rizzo came up with some really mind blowing percussion that took the song in a direction I wasn't expecting at all. I also asked Dominic Fallacaro to improvise a piano transition into the next song, since they were in totally unrelated keys, and he laid down one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever heard.
Leave It All Behind
I'm not much for biographies, but my dad had read the
Keith Richards book and was telling me all about open G tuning, so I went and came up with this guitar part pretty quickly. I think the lyrics could be seen as either hopeless or hopeful, depending on what mood you're in, since I was feeling pretty boxed in but ready to make some changes. When I went in to try working with producer Jeff Fettig, his input on this tune sold me on his instincts for the project.
It's All Gone Now
I remember coming up with the opening line after sitting on this music for months. With no idea where it was going, I took a walk to grab a sandwich, and the rest of that verse fell into place on the way. I've written so many songs from the perspective of the one being left, I thought it'd be interesting to take the opposite view for a change.
Jeremy Nash - Mini-Bio:
Following the release of his 2012 debut, "Too Far Apart," Jeremy set out to delve more deeply into the anxieties that can overwhelm us in this hyperactive digital age, and the result is a uniquely candid depiction of the 21st century experience. Take, for instance, "Killin' It in California," a tale told from the opposite coast, in the depths of a frigid winter, with the narrator paralyzed with envy while his lover flourishes out west. Nash's soaring vocal conveys the isolating feelings that a long and lonely winter can elicit. Other songs on "Getaway Driver," such as the Americana-infused title track, explore our longing for human connection and the often-crippling apprehension that goes along with it. Jeremy has spent the past 8 years honing his craft among the flourishing New York folk scene, playing both solo and with a full band at venues such as Rockwood
Music Hall, Arlene's Grocery, The Bitter End, and The Living Room. Currently living in Nashville, TN, Jeremy hopes to further develop as a writer and performer in
Music City, ready for the next phase of his musical journey.
Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/jeremynashmusic
https://jeremynash.bandcamp.com/
