ADRIAN NATION

A talented, committed musician in his youth, Adrian Nation describes his first compositions as "the ramblings of a searching teenager". He may ramble less these days, but his search continues, and he has evolved into one of the most insightful and incisive songwriters of his generation..

 

Influenced at an early age by the genius of Bob Dylan and the melodic fluidity of Mark Knopfler's haunting guitar, Adrian's teenage eyes and ears were truly opened when the late Isaac Guillory "played the guitar like I had never seen" ("Diamonds in the Stream", Sowing Seeds, 2003). Reflecting on this experience Adrian says, "Suddenly the acoustic guitar was a much bigger instrument than I ever thought it could be. My mind was set."

 

With near perfect clarity, Adrian reminds us of the complexity of the human condition and the fragility of relationships in "Holding Back" from the "Sowing Seeds" album: "Holding back 'cause I don't want to hurt you, I can't always say what I mean". At this point, it's virtually guaranteed that those of us who know this song don't speak the words, we sing them! And therein lies the secret - carefully chosen words, married with melodies so rich that they ease their way into the subconscious, where they remain as gentle reminders that we are, in fact, "only human." Economical where necessary, luxuriously textured when required. Enough to do the job.

 

Adrian's hectic touring schedule is testament to his popularity and quite exceptional guitar playing. The ceaseless cycle of touring and playing has continued unabated since the release of "Sowing Seeds" and has established him as a stalwart of the festival, folk and acoustic scene. Pivotal to all of this however, is the sublime guitar and voice of Adrian Nation.