Q&A: Between Americana & Alt-Folk, Nate Logston Introduces “Marriages & Divorces”
Nate Logston, a dynamic singer-songwriter from Indiana, ignites the music scene with his fifth album, "Marriages & Divorces," conceived in late 2022. Evolving continually, Logston draws inspiration from 70s rock and modern troubadours like Elliott Smith and Jeff Tweedy. He eschews the singles game, preferring the depth of full albums. Longston's genre-blending style, spanning Americana and Alt-Folk, resonates with diverse influences, infusing hints of rock, country, and even disco and rap. Collaborating with Adam Hill and Altamira Studios, Logston crafts authentic narratives while balancing his architectural career. Dreaming of future tours and collaborations, Logston seeks to connect profoundly with young audiences, sharing heartfelt stories and fostering a vibrant fanbase.
LUNA: Introduce yourself: who is Nate Logston? How and when was the project born?
LOGSTON: I'm a singer/songwriter in Indiana. Marriages & Divorces is my fifth full length album. I began writing it in late 2022.
LUNA: How has your music changed in the past few years?
LOGSTON: I evolve as a writer and producer with each album. Although I still hold my prior work in high regard, I consider Marriages & Divorces to be my best all around work yet.
LUNA: Who inspired your music? Who are your biggest influences?
LOGSTON: I've largely been inspired by 70's rock and singer songwriters. My more recent inspiration include Elliott Smith, Jeff Tweedy and Father John Misty. I think if you listen closely, you'll hear all of that come through.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
LOGSTON: I'm still old-school. Although I have released a couple singles, namely "At the Seams" and "Water High", I consider myself an album artist. I still prefer to release full albums and the collections of songs are more important to me than any particular track.
LUNA: How did you develop this style? Will you experiment with other genres in the future?
LOGSTON: I'm always experimenting! I think I'd be lumped into an Americana or Alt-Folk genre by most listeners, but you'll certainly hear a little rock, country, and even some disco and rap if you dig deep into my catalog.
LUNA: Let's talk about "Marriages & Divorces:" what inspired it and how did it come to life?
LOGSTON: This is my most hard-hitting work yet. These songs are real. Real stories, real people, real, real, real. Although not all of it pertains to me and my life, some of it does, and some of it is observations of things happening in my loved ones' lives. I come from a long line of marriages and divorces and I see and sympathize with the pain, heartache, but also the sense of renewal that comes with it. This is an album all about that.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
LOGSTON: I work with several very talented people and the list grows with each release. Adam Hill is my longest running bandmate and co-producer. He helped on the front end of this record and played a huge part in the tracks "Water High" and "Leaving Lies". I began working with Adam in 2012. For this record I also sought out Altamira Studios and Rob Shelton to also help produce, mix and add some color. Through Altamira and Rob, I not only gained top shelf engineering, but also some stellar studio musicianship.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
LOGSTON: I'm an architect by day. I'm fortunate to work from home with a flexible schedule. I have a nice home studio and if musical inspiration strikes, I act upon it immediately. One of my biggest fears is to lose a good song idea. Sometimes that means working late to make up for lost time in my architectural practice. Songwriting is my creative passion, and although it does supplement my income nicely at times, usually around album releases, the reality of earning a living at it solely is not likely.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? If yes, tell us about it.
LOGSTON: I would love to one day go on tour. My current life situation doesn't lend itself to that, and fortunately my music seems to be finding an audience without it. But it is still on my bucket list to do a small US tour and a small European tour one day.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
LOGSTON: Jeff Tweedy is my favorite songwriter. I would love to one day open for Jeff.
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
LOGSTON: My last album "Finding Virtue" has been very good to me. In the summer of '23, it caught some interest and my fanbase grew a whole lot. This album is also off to a strong start and things seem to be moving in a good direction. As long as the fanbase continues growing a little on the main platforms, and as long as I have people looking forward to hearing new music from me, I'll be completely satisfied. In the end, I'll be making it and wanting people to want to hear it. If that is happening, and they are, I'm doing fine. Word of mouth and power of the "like" and "share" are huge. I'm grateful to have some wonderful fans who do some promoting on my part!
