Nathaniel Earl

Spent last week in Big Bend with and filming a music video for an upcoming release.

There is nowhere I’ve been in the world more magical than Big Bend. It’s holy ground. So let’s stop them from building that f*cking wall straight through it. No one is migrating through that country, it’s beautiful but impossibly inhospitable.

I’m not inspired by music very often. I listen to music I’m working on every day, either of my own, for my band, or for one of the many artists I produce, and as a result, I don’t often listen to music purely for enjoyment. This is something I’m working on remedying, but for the last 5+ years, this has been my reality. The interesting thing about it though is I’ve found deep levels of musical inspiration from places I never would have expected.

1. This is the room I wrote the final version of “forget about me” in. I was living with my partner for a few months, and unlocked a special kind of creativity in this little corner. I remember longing to return home to my studio, but was unable to leave for a number of months, forcing me to tap into a deeper creativity, one not tied to a location curated to support it.
2. The sky on the day I wrote the orchestral arrangement. This sky was a big inspiration for the arrangement, wide open, beautiful, peaceful, simple.
3. Later that year when I was recording the piano, the bird’s nest on the front porch hatched. This little Wren was quite the noise maker. You’ll hear him a lot in the piano recording if you listen closely.
4. A little while later, that same bird left the nest, joined by a lot of other hatchlings. They came to the backdoor and said hi. Quite an experience. His journey from nestling to leading his own life helped me finish the lyrics, which are about leaving the old life behind for the new unknown.

I’d love to know where you get inspiration from. What unexpected places have inspired you? Let me know in the comments.

“forget about me” is streaming everywhere

I wrote “forget about me” as a way to process my Dad’s passing.
I was hurt, confused, feeling broken, and a desire to be close to him. I sat at the piano and started thinking about what he was going through, wherever he was. Was he hurt and confused? Was he having to let things go before he was ready? Where was he, and how could I connect with him there?

1. My dad and I circa 1990 something
2. The Budapest scoring orchestra recording this song
3. A night right after his passing, alone in the dark trying to process my feelings through music
4. More Budapest
5. I bought this old piano on craigslist to record for this song. It’s a special piano to me. I recorded it right there in my dining room
6. Dad, Paul, Emma, Luke, and me up at a cabin in Wisconsin
7. The face I’ll always see when I think of him

Losing my Dad was one of the most pivotal moments in my life. It was painful, but it wasn’t all bad. It made me reprioritize my relationship to my family, why I felt like I needed to distance myself from them, and how to participate more fully in their lives. It’s a learning process, but I am very grateful for the opportunity to show up for them the way I can. I love each one of them dearly.

“forget about me” is a very special song for me. I hope you can find something meaningful in it for you.

Listen via the link in my bio.

Love,
Nathaniel

A lot of the music I write deals with sadness, grief, internal struggle, and rebirth. I want to share a bit of my story.

1. Dec 2018 — I was struggling with alcoholism and depression. I’d sometimes spend days without getting out of bed.
2. Early 2019 — This Polaroid was taken the week I planned on ending my life.
3. March 2020 — I went to rehab on crutches. It changed everything.
4. Flash forward — After a lot of ups and downs, I formed a deep friendship and collaboration with — the first person to give me a real shot after years of tripping over myself and damaging relationships.
5. March 2024 — and I release our collaboration, Temporary Time (Orchestrated). It taught me to believe in myself, and how to blend my music with someone I respected deeply.
6. March 2024 — Alison and I fall in love.
7. Nov 2024 — Scooter shows up at my front door, and we become best friends.
8. Feb 2025 — My first release featuring a full orchestra comes out: the soundtrack for the film If They Took Us Back
9. July 2025 — I officially join the band and find brotherhood in a group for the first time in my life.
10. This clip is from the Temporary Time (Orchestrated) live show in March 2024. The piece is one my dad wrote. He passed in 2021. Sharing his music in that room was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I cried while performing.

I’ve struggled a lot with depression and addiction. For a long time I hated myself, and saw myself as the villain in my own story. When my dad passed in 2021, something started to shift. I realized I had to participate in the world instead of disappearing into myself. It hasn’t been easy, and there are still hard days — but my life is bountiful now because of these relationships and experiences.

If you’re struggling: ask for help. Start small. Most people want to help, and letting them in can be the first step. 🤍