THE LINEUP
A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most
Artist: Nat Myers
Album: Yellow Peril (Easy Eye Sound)
Nat Myers is a Korean-American Kansan who is making waves as a badass bluesman. With the snappy Dan Auerbach-produced debut album, YellowPeril out in the wild, Nat has plenty of hours logged on the road, and when we meet he’s keeping Willie Watson company. “Willie was one of the first fellas to take me on the road,” Nat begins, with his distinctive drawl. “We’re like two peas in a pod and I can’t get him to shut up right now. I love listening to him talk and he knows it.”
Solo Performance
Although there are accompaniments heard on Yellow Peril, Nat’s preferred touring setup is him solo, a decision that suits his old-school sounding blues. “Yeah, I’m just by my lonesome, sir,” he smiles. “People ask if I’m going to get a band and I’m like, ‘I got into playing this music because I don’t want no band!’ I know some shitkickers back home who I like running around with, but the goose ain’t worth the gander for anyone but myself right now. Maybe down the line…
“Actually, one of my favourite things about blues guitar is the accompaniment,” he continues. “Not the person leading the solo but the one who knows the perfect bass line and keeps it simple. I’m an accompanist kind of man.”
The Mule’s Presence
We jump into guitar chat, with Nat having switched from his Mule resonator to acoustic for these live dates. “The Mule just strikes people in a different way,” he tells us. “Even though they’re pretty common in the blues and folk communities, not a lot of people know what the fuck that thing is. So you pull it out and it catches attention, but it also twangs a little deeper and has this drag. It’s like what Lonnie Johnson said when someone asked him why he stopped playing acoustic: it’s because no-one fucking listens to you! But I’ve been playing smaller rooms with Willie and they’re much more oriented towards listening, so I can get the acoustic out again.”
The Ramblin’ Man
Nat has an innate desire to be free and outside, so a gigging blues musician is a good fit for him. “Some of my first gigs were before I had a [driving] licence,” he says, “so I had to walk a mile or two to get to shows. I’m a ramblin’ man and I’ve been walking my whole life, but this is the first time I’ve been able to professionally ramble. I’m now able to make a cut from being out and about. “My dad’s and mum’s stories
