Nathan (photo by Jon Schledwitz)

“If David Lynch had directed ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?,’ Nathan’s music would be the soundtrack.” – Michael Wrycraft, CBC Radio

Two women and two men.

Acoustic and electric guitars,  6-string banjo, accordion, mandolin, pedal steel, dobro, drums and percussion, piano, organ, some horns (trumpet, French Horn, and tuba) – even the eerie howling sound of a theremin, a motion-sensitive synthesizer. Add some Appalachia to the pot and throw in a little jazz – a dash of  country, Tex-Mex, ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, and some cabaret for good measure.

That’s the Canadian band Nathan.  No wonder they’re hard to categorize.  One thing is not hard to figure, though – this is some seriously good music.

Nathan’s debut album Stranger was released independently to much acclaim in 2001, and won a Prairie Music Award for Outstanding Independent Album.