The Nathaniel Russell Interview
Nathaniel Russell is a brilliant multi-disciplinary artist and musician based in Indianapolis, Indiana, whose work connects the startling subconscious with everyday imagery that provokes the juxtaposition of youth. While meditating in various media like print, music, drawings, paintings, murals, sculptures, set designs, posters, books, and commercial illustrations, Russell’s elemental efforts manage to carry melodic moments from one emotion to the next, and without any hesitation, to connect to something deeper and poetically powerful.
When and where were you born, and how did you initially become fascinated with music and art? Who were some of your earliest influences, and how quickly did the gap from listening, viewing, and simply consuming pop culture to wanting to create for yourself take place?
Photo: Katie Coles
I am originally from Indianapolis. I was born here and grew up on the south side. I lived in California for a while after college, but returned to Indiana after about 10 years. All my friends growing up were into music, skateboarding, and doing fun, weird things. I eventually found what I was into through them, magazines, and movies. This was before the Internet, so one had to dig a little bit and be more intentional in learning about bands and artists. My earliest influences were comic strips such as The Far Side and publications like Mad Magazine and Thrasher. These felt subversive at the time and hinted at a life a little less ordinary. The combination of humor and art was really inviting, and connected to things like Kids In The Hall, Monty Python, etc. I think alternative culture, or whatever you want to call it, was interesting and mysterious to me as a kid. I felt connected to things like bohemian lifestyles and the art life. Having been inspired by skateboard graphics and strange indie records, seemed like something I wanted to be a part of. I think that’s the special thing about that stuff: that you could do it, too. The art and music were something I kept getting into and doing, and now here I am 30 years later. I often think about art and music together. Words can be titles of paintings and lyrics, and back and forth. The further along I get in life, the more it all seems to be one thing.
“Everything I’ve ever been able to do in my life, I have somehow willed into existence; it never came from sitting still or waiting for permission. Be your full self while you can; you won’t be sorry. ”
2005 saw the release of your debut solo album, “Current Carry,” under the melodic moniker, Birds Of America. Tell me about this project, going back 20 years, if you can believe that. Eventually releasing music under your own name with last year’s “Song Of” on Psychic Hotline, tell me about the overall process and approach to this body of work, as well as working with Sylvan Esso’s Amelia Meath.
Birds of America (thanks for the research) was just a name to put on a recording or band project that wasn’t me. It was something I could hide behind, similar to so many other musicians I admire who’ve done the same thing: Jeff Magnum, Lou Barlow, Kyle Field, Chan Marshall, etc. It was a way to make music while simultaneously not being so vulnerable. “Songs Of” came out in April 2024 and was recorded in March 2023 at Betty’s in Durham, North Carolina. The album came about because I had several songs that I had been playing for many years around the house and to my kids at bedtime. Songs I’d made up over the years, played with Birds Of America and by myself, but as I played them more and more in a new era in my life, they seemed to fit together in a new way. It seemed cohesive and of a specific time and place. I am friends with Amelia, and I admire her work and ideas so much. It was a wild dream of mine for her to help me put all these songs together. I asked her, and she was into it. We spent a week or so recording it, and it was a wonderful experience, and I really can’t speak highly enough about everybody who helped out and made this collection a real thing.
I’d like to know a little more about the background to some of the songs featured on the album, like “Everybody Ever,” “Sleeping Grass", and “Stop Let’s Listen.” What have been some of the most memorable moments while working on these songs? Is there anything else you would like to share further with the readers?
EVERYBODY EVER: This was a song that had been rolling around in some form or another for a long time, and I’d made many 4-track recordings over the years. I had brought it to the recording session as sort of a half-formed idea, and Amelia had great ideas of how to resolve it, keep it short and sweet, while simultaneously introducing an element of chaos and involving Matt Douglas’ horns up in it. I love the recording we made of this, especially the vocals of Amelia and Alli Rogers, who also engineered this record beautifully. SLEEPING GRASS: This song was always instrumental or wordless. I believe the demo I originally sent Amelia was a short piano thing. As we established a routine of recording and being together over the week, we felt free to experiment. The idea was for me to go on a short walk and hum the melody, accompanied by Matt’s playing. Most days, we would go on a walk down this path, and it felt really natural. Now, when I play this song, it has words to it, and I like that it is evolving and living a life out here. STOP LET’S LISTEN: This was another one I brought to the session as a half-idea, and a portion of a song I’d sung a while ago. Once we recorded my simple singing and playing, the idea grew and became a rule that everyone who came into the studio had to play or sing on the track. This may have started on the first or second day, but wasn’t finished until the last. It eventually grew and became something of its own, I guess. I love this one very much. I don’t know what I have further to add other than if you feel like writing a song or drawing a picture, you should definitely do it. You will not regret it. Try making a record of your lived experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Every day if you can. Everything I’ve ever been able to do in my life, I have somehow willed into existence; it never came from sitting still or waiting for permission. Be your full self while you can; you won’t be sorry.
Photo: Thomas Campbell
