In Session With...

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No guest today. I thought it’d be fun to put together a collection of everybody’s answers to Nate’s Eight so far. 

I really enjoyed editing this as it gave me a chance to revisit some episodes I hadn’t heard for months. There are some great answers! Also, I noticed I tend to say “beautiful” at the end of almost every one. I had no idea! 

Anyway, as usual, please consider leaving a rating or review. Also, any sharing on social media would go a really long way towards getting the podcast out to more people, so these amazing musicians get a little more credit. 

I hope you enjoy our conversations as much as I did. 

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Hazel is a singer based in London. Her credits include artists like Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue, Tina Turner and Jamiroquai.

Amongst other things, we discussed Hazel’s “fast track” journey in to the industry, the importance of sleep for singers, function gigs, and doing your best to make sure the overall performance is the best it can be. 

As usual, please consider leaving a nice rating and review - It really helps shine a light on these wonderful musicians. It only takes a few seconds. 

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

(Recorded April 17th 2023)

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Dave is a bass player based in London. His list of credits includes artist like Spice Girls, Beverley Knight, Professor Green and Lulu.

Amongst many other things, we discussed how it felt to tick off a bucket list venue, how to welcome anxiety and use it to your advantage, preparation, and how to deal with the occasional mistake.

In other news, I’ll be taking a week or two off after this episode. I need to catch up on other work and whatnot, so will be back with more episodes as soon as possible! In the meantime, please feel free to email [email protected] with any guest suggestions. Also, as usual, please don’t forget to leave a nice rating or review.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.    

(Recorded March 31st 2023)

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Mark is a drummer based in London. His credits include Ed Sheeran, Tom Jones, Leona Lewis, Olly Murs and Pixie Lott. He’s also worked on film soundtracks such as This Is England and Rocketman. 

When he’s not behind the drums, you’ll likely find Mark out on the boat working for the RNLI. We didn’t really discuss this during our chat, but it’s certainly a very admirable thing to be doing in his time off!

Amongst other things, we discussed getting advice from Ricky Lawson, the power of saying yes, and not worrying too much about everyone else's opinion.

If you enjoy this podcast, please take a second to leave a nice rating or review. It’s hugely appreciated!

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did

(Recorded 21st February 2023)

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No guest today. I’d planned on doing an episode where I answer questions from listeners, however, I thought it might be fun to answer some questions from some previous pod guests before then. 

Before we get into the questions, please do consider leaving a rating or review. It really helps people find the podcast, and helps shine a light on these great musicians.

Right - here we go…

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Katie is a singer based in London. Her credits include Adele, Craig David, Kylie Minogue and Professor Green. 

Amongst many other things, we discussed Katie’s early realisation that fame wasn’t for her, dealing with nerves, the power of posting a CD to a local producer, and balancing work and life whilst doing Adele’s Las Vegas residency. 

Hearing Katie explain how she juggles the travel, the gig itself and family life was really inspiring to me. Katie - If you’re reading this, huge respect!

As usual, please consider leaving a nice rating or review. It really doesn’t take long, but is a huge help for the podcast. I think it’s worth mentioning that nobody involved with this podcast makes any money from it. It’s just a fun way for me to try and shine a light on all these talented people.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

(Recorded 28th February 2023)

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The word legend is often thrown around without consideration, but for this episode, “legend” seems appropriate. 

Jerry Hey is a trumpet player and arranger based in LA. He has six Grammy wins and eleven nominations to his name. He’s worked with the likes of Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Earth, Wind & Fire, Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston. His actual list of credits is way too long to get into here. Not to mention the film and TV credits. 

Amongst many other things, we discussed Jerry’s early thoughts on jumping from classical music to Jazz and Pop, how being in Hawaii changed his life, getting the call from Quincy Jones, and how although technology keeps changing, great players will always be a part of the music making process.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

(Recorded 10th February 2023)

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Rob is a bass player based in London. 

Most recently, he's been on a world tour with Jacob Collier. His list of credits includes the likes of Laura Mvula, Jordan Rakei, Zero 7 and Quincy Jones.

Amongst other things, we discussed diversification as a session musician, Rob's interesting relationship with the fretboard, the cassette that really got him in to music, and getting in to coffee and chess. 

(As of February 28th 2023, Rob and I have yet to play a game of chess. Mainly because I think he'll destroy me...)

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. 

(Recorded 9th February 2023)

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A slightly different episode today.

I wanted to shed a bit of light on someone who does a job most people don’t see. As session musicians, we’re often told a time to be somewhere, we arrive, and our equipment is already set up. Not to mention the stage and lights and whatnot. I thought it’d be fun to chat with a backline technician about what they do and what it’s like to be on that side of a gig or tour.

Diffy is a backline technician who specialises in drums and percussion. For the last twenty years he’s been touring with artists like Liam Gallagher, Glass Animals, Jamiroquai and Tom Jones. 

We discussed his move from drummer to drum tech, balancing tours with being a dad, what exactly a backline tech does, and how touring can be a lonely but brilliant job.

There was a weird issue with Diffy’s airpods for a while, so please excuse the clicking noises. They do eventually stop, I promise!

By the way, please check out the links at the bottom of the show notes. You can support the podcast, and also email me. I’m looking to do a Q&A episode soon, so send your questions to [email protected].

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. 

(Recorded 31st January 2023)

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Elle is a singer based in London. As a backing vocalist, she can usually be found touring with the likes of Lisa Stansfield, Will Young, Van Morrison and Robbie Williams. I managed to catch her whilst in the middle of a tour with Robbie. Elle is covering the tour for another singer, so it was an interesting time to chat, not only as she was on tour, but because she was also having to fit in to a well oiled touring machine. 

Amongst other things, we discussed working as a dep, signing to a major label at a young age, the power of one’s spirit, and always being professional on tour. 

Elle and I had a chat after the recording and she mentioned she wanted me to add a message to anyone starting in the industry - “No gig is yours really. If you dep it out, you could lose it, or the artist/management could choose someone else at any time, and you have to be ok with that.

I hadn’t spoken to Elle for a few months, so it was great to catch up.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

(Recorded 27th Jan 2023)

Elle is also doing some wonderful work in the community via the Institute of Wellbeing.

Support the show

Follow me on Instagram - @nategroove

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Any questions or guest suggestions, please email [email protected]