Nate Rogers began writing songs at the tender age of 10. He has a deep and abiding love for music, as is so often found among those who create it, with influences ranging from Sinatra to Mofro to Hank Jr. to Pearl Jam to the Dixie Chicks. His primary musical goal is to grow in his craft and create a legacy of songs that speak to his listeners and for themselves. ‘All Roads Lead To Here’ is Nate’s latest record, and is a 13-song collection of strong, solid country tracks with heart, soul and a glorious helping of twang. Co-produced by Nate, CJ Burton (supreme drummer and music producer) and Joe Corey (formerly of Ocean Way Studios), the album was recorded, mixed and mastered in 5 cities and even more studios, including those in California, NYC and Nashville.
‘All Roads Lead To Here’: How It All Came Together
Nate: “When I write songs, I don’t initially sit down with my instrument to do so. A song begins from my imagination, usually in the form of a melodic hook. They can come at any ol’ random time, so I do my best to capture the best of them by recording the idea on my iPhone. I’m also a word lover, so I’ll often find that the melody comes attached to certain words, which often become the themes I write lyrics from (more about that when I talk about the songs individually). Once the core of the song is established, I bring my instrument into the picture to establish key/chord structure.”
“This record was thematic from its inception. I wanted it to be a record of hope, of epic history, of the aspirations of love. In some ways, it has been a journey of therapy over the past year. Some people turn to dark material in their darker times; I turned to hope in mine. The album is organized as a three-act piece. I used ‘The Prestige’ as my model for its organization (though obviously it’s decidedly brighter in its content and delivery). There are three distinct turns in the record designed to help separate the flow of its parts. I’ve been pleasantly surprised that some early listeners have picked up on this structure, though I don’t expect that to be typical since folks rarely listen to complete records in this day and age.”
Love is a prevailing theme for ‘All Roads Lead To Here’. From the rocky opener ‘World On Fire’, (“What would love look like in its perfect form for me?”), to the wailing fiddle-led ballad ‘I Didn’t Mean To Meet You’ (“true story of young love”), and to the traditional, deliciously twangy ballad ‘My Kind of Woman’ (“this was my idea of what a healthy relationship would look like; blend and balance”). Throughout the production is simple, raw and revealing. The instruments are allowed to breathe in the space given between them, which draws more attention to each part and gives it more of an amateur, front porch feel. One example is the old-time waltz ‘Hook Up’, which isn’t afraid to be wholeheartedly country in its deepest roots, and utilizes a very old-fashioned style of singing, making it a highlight (“This song became a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition last year”).
But Nate does more than just sing about love. He’s reaching for something more with his music, and ‘I Found God’ is one such example: “This is the epic piece on the record: Each verse is a chapter of American history (not chronological); the choruses are a personal call to find more within myself; the bridge is the binding theme of the song.” Nate’s creativity is again showcased further on ‘Stir Crazy’: “Of this collection of songs, none is more fun to play live than this one. The theme was inspired by my son. It’s about a boy with ADD whose dad picks up on his symptoms early and directs his son’s energy toward something productive that he loves to do. I am a big proponent of a concept I call progressive choruses, which is a tool in which each successive chorus builds on the prior one. The first is unbridled energy and early ambition, the second is beginning to direct that energy toward a conceptual goal, the third is the result of carrying it all to completion.”
From the inspirational (‘New Beginning’), to the sweet (‘The Garden of Your Heart’), to the personal and heartfelt (‘Early Morning Rising’), to the storytelling (‘This Side of The River’), Nate has put together a great collection of tracks that speak to his listeners and each offer a new shade and color of life. Musically he wavers between traditional country and modern country, with rock influences peeping in here and there, but ultimately he represents a sound far more true to country than I’ve heard from many recently.
