Nathan Mac is a performer of many guises. He has released music under several pseudonyms, been a circus arts performer for many years, and blended the two art forms on more than one occasion. For example, in a sold out show at the Smock Alley Theatre in September 2019.
Now, Nathan is taking on a new persona to release indie-pop track ‘Better off Without You’ tomorrow, 1st May. The song is melancholic, but does not lack energy for it. It crescendos into beautiful harmonic colours which permeate the arrangement. This is particularly evident in the chorus, which subtly evolves each time it is heard. This song is radically different from his previous releases, which leaned more towards a folk or singer-songwriter style. ‘Better off Without You’ instead features smooth, swelling synth and crackling, lofi drums. Nathan has exchanged folk sincerity for a catchy, rhythmic pop sound. Dropped the soft, guitar-driven storytelling and picked up a synth-heavy production.
On close listening, though, ‘Better off Without You’ is not as far removed from Nathan’s former self as it first appears. The lyrics are as convincing and narratively affecting as his releases under the name Bua. They shrewdly hint at his former style, which was inspired by the natural world. “In the moments I relapse, the ecosystem in my mind starts to collapse. I get smokey eyes when I set fire to your face.” Organic imagery such as this, sprinkled throughout the song, communicates complex emotions and does so in a memorable, distinctly indie-pop package. As a less subtle reminder of his past, birdsong rings out at the end of the track and reiterates this connection to nature.
‘Better off Without You’ is the first in a series of singles being recorded with producer Brian Dwyer, which will be released as part of the Start of Something Blue project. ‘Better off Without You’ is due for release on 1st May 2020, and you can pre-save the song on Spotify here.