Nathan Cavaleri
If the name Nathan Cavaleri rings a bell, there’s a good reason for that. He was the cute little guitar playing kid with regular appearances on Hey Hey It's Saturday, and was such a prodigy, he was signed to Michael Jackson’s music label, MJ personally winning out in a bidding war between Prince and Madonna.
By Tierney Seccull
After getting – and beating – leukaemia at a young age, anxiety, insomnia and chronic fatigue impacted his capacity to perform, so he hit the pause button on his career. But in 2020 came the renaissance of Nathan Cavaleri with the release of his first solo album, Demons.
“Creatively, in terms of getting back out there [in 2020] as a musician, I didn’t believe that I’d have the psychological and physical capacity to perform again, so as far as I was concerned, my career was over,” he says.
“But I kept writing music and I'd see other areas of my life open up the more I was applying what I had learned, and that’s what made me think, ‘I wonder if it’s gonna be the same with music? Maybe I should just lean into this.’”
And so, he did.
“I didn’t want to let fear completely detach me from what I’d done my whole life … I had all of these songs, because I continued to create almost like I did as a kid – it wasn’t about career or about whether it was gonna get played on radio, it was just self-expression. So, I just gave it a go. That was the moment I dipped my toe in the water.”
Cavaleri notes Angus and Julia Stone and Queens of the Stone Age among his influences, plus older artists like Shuggie Otis and George Harrison, but has carved his own unique style, vibe and sound that is different from the young fella you might remember from the telly.
“There's a lot of light and shade, and I think I probably sit between alternative and rock, but with blues tones as well. I draw a lot on psychedelic textures – I love a lot of 60s and 70s psychedelic music – I try to incorporate some of that, and it seems to fit, that combination seems to align with the emotions and sentiments of the song."
Three years after his debut solo album, Cavaleri's hit the road on a national tour to celebrate the release of his second solo album Miracles. With shows in Darwin and Mparntwe/Alice Springs, he says he’s keen to return to the NT.
“I have such great memories of touring, particularly in Darwin – they were some of the biggest crowds I played as a kid. I’m absolutely looking forward to coming back.”
Witness what can only be described as utter wizardry of this singer-songwriter-guitar legend, as he shares stories from his life between original tunes. He’s all grown up, and his star is as bright as ever.
Darwin
WHEN SUN 30 JUL | 7PM
AT DARWIN RAILWAY CLUB
COST $21.50
Alice Springs
WHEN FRI 4 AUG | 8PM
AT ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE
COST $24
INFO nathancavaleri.com
