SUPERSONIC Q&As no. 3: NATHAN BELL
For our third Supersonic artist Q&A, we present – from Baltimore, USA – Nathan Osmodius Bell. Bell plays astounding, cyclical banjo pieces making creative use of delay and bowing techniques. His music is sometimes sparse, sometimes urgent, but always inventive and the current album ‘Colors‘ on Lancashire & Somerset Records is as good a place as any to enter his world. Bell was also the bass player in Lungfish and has a duo called Human Bell with Dave Heumann from Arboretum. Clever name, clever musician.
1. Which five words describe what you know about Supersonic?
Five times speed of sound.
2. What can people expect of you at the festival?
The channeling of music five times the sound of speed, a one man band with the help of a few others, jamming out cosmic rhythms, in a string ensemble crafting poignant melodic scores, elevating and resonating deep in internal tunes. A church of the metaphysical “Tall Praises High Spirit band.
3. Why make music – what does it do for you that nothing else does?
Because music is a gift and to truly appreciate this gift then one should be able to submit, to channel it thru. music is medicine, medicine is music. Soul food for the brain. It closes two eyes to open the third.
4. Who else on the bill are you hoping to see?
Bardo Pond, Skull Defekts.
5. Finally, your essential ‘surviving-Supersonic’ items are…
One banjo, guitar, drums, harmonica, a prayer and a praise for the music.
Listen to songs from Nathan Bell’s current album ‘Colors‘ (Lancashire & Somerset Records).
