You may have come across Nathan Kaye on tour with the likes of Pete Murray, Paul Kelly, Birds of Tokyo, Grammy winner Jason Mraz or as an actor in films like Muriel’s Wedding or One Less God.
The Byron Bay-based multi-instrumental virtuoso Nathan Kaye has unveiled the first glimpse of his forthcoming album Movement of Change with the release of his brand-new single with the intriguing title, ‘Watcher Watching the Watcher’.

In his live shows, Kaye frequently unmasks his film & TV acting background with a comedic, yet often poignant, storytelling as he frequently portrays the strange characters we meet in life. However, in ‘Watcher Watching the Watcher’, the attention is placed on our inner pilgrimage as he dives into the tumultuous depths of the human mind to reach a lucid awareness.

“I first started exploring the philosophical notion of being ‘the watcher’ of my own life when I was 17 years old during a performance of a play where I lost all sense of myself and was just observing the character’s lines and behaviours falling out of my mouth and body. It seemed like the character I was supposed to be acting as was it’s own real being that took over me and I was just an observer inside on the ride. It really shook me up at the time, because it made me question the realness of my own identity or ego, which led me on a lifelong quest to find out who it is that thinks these thoughts I am having. Who is the watcher that is watching the watcher that is watching me.”

Opening with the haunting weissenborn lapsteel slide guitar wailing on it’s own, before the thunderous 90’s trip-hop-like beat thumps through, threading between lingering, solemn notes and culminating in an adroit display of impressive slide guitar skills. All the while, Kaye’s smooth, rasp voice charactered from the experience of a life well lived, delivers astute philosophical truths, like the kindly advice from a wise mystic summoning you to see your real self for the first time.

The song has been mastered at London’s infamous Abbey Road Studios by the engineer that cut Radiohead’s Kid A record to vinyl.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to have a song be mastered where the greats like the Beatles, Pink Floyd & Radiohead have created their masterpieces, so when the opportunity arose I couldn’t resist.”

Recorded in an off-grid, eco-friendly, solar powered studio nestled in the rainforests of the Byron hinterland, where many upcoming artists are recording their new releases, ‘Watcher Watching the Watcher’ embodies elements of the tranquil nature of its surrounds, yet underpinned with an unshakeable ominousness.

It feels as if the pretentiousness of Byron’s New Age movement has finally dropped it’s facade & been replaced by a non-fluffy, mature spokesman.

Tonally the song is not dissimilar to the trip-hop offerings of the 90’s, such as Massive Attack, blended with the fearless vulnerability of artists like Ben Harper and the complex modal writing of Radiohead, the track is the first look at Kaye’s new sonic path which sees him embracing a relentless cinematic-type soundscape with acoustic prowess, as he brings light to the dark places within.
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