Forming a fan base in U.K. is not enough for Nathan Fagan-Gayle who is now working on his second album in the States.
- Jul 21, 2009
AceShowbiz - With new acts coming in every other day, there is one individual who is so determined at reaching the top with his talent. Nathan Fagan-Gayle or simply known as Nathan has made a buzz back in U.K. with his single "Come Into My Room". He is now working hard to conquer the States with his new effort. But two things he wants to emphasize are: not to sound American and sacrifice his creative direction just so to be signed to a major label.
In our exclusive interview with the aspiring singer, Nathan explains how he is different from the rest out there, how he gets a compliment from Alicia Keys and how Michael Jackson's death came as a personal shock to him.
ASB: When did it occur to you that you want to become a musician and performer?
Nathan: Well my mom is a reggae singer, so is my dad. So from a very young age my mom would go on tour all over the world, going to Japan, New York and places like that. So I'm always around music and performance. Maybe around 13 that I decided that this is what I want to do.
ASB: How big does your family influence you career-wise?
Nathan: My family is like the biggest influence because I've always been around music and entertainment. My mom always plays instruments, like violin and piano. My uncle is a singer, my dad is a singer. I come from a family with musical background, I try to go international, global level. I owe it to my family.
ASB: The competition is quite heavy out there with new acts coming in. What sets you apart from the other singers out there?
Nathan: What's different from me is my background. I've been in America, New York for five years, Jamaica for four years, obviously in England all my life. For me it's like international tune. It has reggae, R 'n' B, Pop, Hip-Hop. My music is like a mix of everything.
ASB: You said in an interview that Alicia Keys praised your vocal, reminding her of Jamie Foxx. How did you feel back then?
Nathan: That was great. I was fourteen at that time and I was picked by my school to interview Alicia Keys. That was a privilege because all the kids want to do it. I was telling all of the jokes and hosted the evening. She really liked it because I was doing the whole thing, the interview, telling the jokes, singing and dancing that remind her of Jamie Foxx. That day becomes like a big part of my inspiration to just go ahead and believe in myself because someone as big as Alicia Keys compliments me. That gave me a lot of confidence.
ASB: You write your own music, right? Which artists do you derive the inspiration from?
Nathan: My main inspiration in writing music is Michael Jackson. He is like the main reason why I love music itself. ...R. Kelly has so many different types of music, slightly more reggae, hip-hop. So that type of thing.
ASB: How does Michael Jackson's death affect you personally?
Nathan: I was in the studio, maybe about half an hour before I heard about it. I was starting to sort out what song people want and I was like 'I want to make a Michael Jackson type of song'. It is so ironic because later we heard the news. I was so devastated, I couldn't carry on that day.
ASB: So you're working on the album in the States, why?
Nathan: This time I want to broaden my horizon to have international sound. I don't want my album to sound American so I've been working with a lot of producers. I base in America, but I've been working with U.K. producers, Australian producers and people from all over the world. ... I didn't come here to be like American, but a lot of people that are best in what they do are here.
ASB: Could you please give a shout out to your fans at AceShowbiz?
Nathan: Definitely. I want to give a shout out to all of my fans and for those who have just found out about me. The album is coming. Follow me on my Twitter and MySpace. Thank you for support and keep supporting me.
