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PHOTO CREDIT BAYNE
Nathan Bayne
I
n the history of pretentious band names, Nathan Bayne’s short-lived, post-high school duo with friend Chris Hughes is up there with the most ridiculous: Transcend. “It was meant to signify us rising above or something,” Bayne attempts to explain through fits of laughter, “which is funny because we were 18 and had no clue what we were doing.” Against all odds, Bayne recovered from that embarrassing musical misstep. He was even accepted into the Air Force and proudly served our country for six years, traveling to places as disparate as Antarctica and Afghanistan. So, all kidding aside, he deserves our thanks and appreciation – if not our approval for his choice of band name. 10 years after the demise of Transcend, Bayne is now a solo performer, appearing regularly at local eateries and, more recently, wineries like Owen Valley. The 28year-old musician describes his sound as “jazz jam – an amalgamation of all the different genres and artists that
I’ve listened to over the years, from Dave Matthews to Billie Holiday.” His love for music stretches back to childhood. “I grew up in a musical family,” Bayne says. “My grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher on the north side of Evansville, and my grandmother played piano. So, every Sunday morning, we were in church watching grandma pound the keys and grandpa sing along.” Outside of church, he was particularly influenced by Bosse High School Band Director, Kevin Hulsey. “It’s amazing what he does with kids – to get 100 teenagers working together is a pretty incredible feat. He made me truly passionate about music and taught me a great work ethic,” he says, about the former EVSC High School Teacher of the Year. Bayne lived in Seattle for six years while serving in the Air Force but moved back to Evansville with his wife and daughter upon becoming a civilian again. Soon after, he used his GI Bill to study guitar with Renato Butturi at the University of Evansville. Last year, Bayne began taking music management courses. He hopes to continue his studies this spring with the ultimate goal of working in a recording studio or, ideally, acting as a tour coordinator for a successful band. “I want to be the guy who handles all the logistics - use my Air Force training to make sure that every single detail gets taken care of so all the band has to do is concentrate on playing a great show,” Bayne explains. For the time being, Bayne is concentrating on his music. His primarily instrumental solo performances are a product of the looping technology that he has worked with for the last 12 years. Like local favorite Lindsey Williams, Bayne uses a master pedal board to accompany himself, slowly building his sound from the bottom up. First, he creates the rhythm with hand drums, triangles, tambourines, etc. and loops it. Over the top of this repeating beat, he then lays down acoustic guitar loops and effects. Slowly, a full band comes to life with Bayne in control of the dynamics. ”I like being the background noise to people’s evenings,” he says. “I don’t necessarily have to be the center of attention – though I do enjoy catching people off guard. Sometimes I’ll do covers of Jeff Buckley or Reba McEntire just to mix it up. It’s fun to kind of influence a crowd of people without actually talking to them.” —Thomas Ellis Bayne will play the Winzerwald Wine Tasting Room in October. Check his website for details on this show and other upcoming shows: www.nathanbaynemusic.com. You can also download songs or full albums.
Call for Advertising Information (812) 426-6398 • October 2013
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