The contrast of growing up surrounded by the quiet beauty of the natural world in rural New England and now living in New York City’s urban landscape creates tension in Bellows’ music. The songs are an ongoing dialogue between internal, reflective wonder and an external sense of outward, urgent searching.

Bellows works in three creative fields simultaneously–writing, music, and visual art– exploring a cohesive artistic point of view among the three mediums to undergird his songs. He says, “I explore emotional terrain with these various creative outlets in an attempt to understand–through different vantage points–what matters to me.” He writes about memory, affect, family, legacy, the natural world, human frailty, injury, redemption, and resilience. He says, “I’m interested in unresolved images and fragments of unfinished thought and dialogue.” The engine of most of his work–writing, music, and artwork–is the constant process of reconciling the past while existing, in an ever-changing state, in the present day.

About Nathaniel Bellows

Nathaniel Bellows has released three albums. ‘The Old Illusions’ (2016) was produced with Aaron Roche and features David Garland, DM Stith, and Alex Sopp. Bellows recorded his second album, ‘Swan and Wolf’ (2018), by himself in Maine and eventually created a limited edition hardcover book of each of the ten song’s illustrations. His most recent album, ‘Three’ (2020), was produced by Malcolm Burn (Emmylou Harris, Neil Young, Bob Dylan). All three albums were released on his label Harmon Blunt Music. Bellows has also released two albums with the composer Sarah Kirkland Snider: ‘Unremembered’ (2015; New Amsterdam) and ‘Mass for the Endangered’ (2020; Nonesuch/New Amsterdam). 

Bellows is also the author of two novels–On This Day (HarperCollins) and Nan (Harmon Blunt)–and a collection of poetry, Why Speak? (WW Norton). His writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, The New Republic, Narrative, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, The Yale Review,  The Best American Short Stories, and many other magazines, periodicals, and websites.

Praise For Nathaniel Bellows

“ lyrically contrasts gritty, traditionalist masculinity with surprisingly raw, emotional depth….[his] rugged yet soulful vocals the real star of the show…bringing to mind retrospectively the work of Tom Waits or Bob Dylan.” — Indie Shark (5/5)

“It’s clear when listening to Three in its entirety that you are being lulled into a visceral experience, not just a musical one.” —Vents Magazine

“Bellows has graduated into rare songwriting territory usually reserved for greats like Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young…Bellows proves he is one of the few artists at the top of his game in today’s world.” —Too Much Love Magazine

“[A] triumphant masterpiece” —Imperfect Fifth

He retains a distinct masculinity which doesn’t hamper thoughtful ideas and a well of emotional depth [that is] uncommonly real and immersive…Bellows’s voice is arguably the real star of the show.” —Indie Band Guru

“The songs on Three cover huge acreages of emotions within the space of a few minutes each…a sombre, literate and austere song-cycle that abjures simple solutions.”—AmericanaUK

“ a raw, gritty and soulful eight song masterpiece.” —The JW Vibe

“solidifies his standing as one of the best indie songwriters working today.”—Markus Druery, NeuFutur Magazine

“an excellent outing for this multi-talented figure“— Mindy McCall, No Depression

“starkly scrumptious, dreamy, and haunting“— BLOGCRITICS.ORG

“This is a must listen.”— Paste

“the intensity of Johnny Cash or Leonard Cohen that lives within Bellows’ ability to tell a story and focus squarely on the lyrics.” — Heidi Drockelman, Indie Music