Everywhere the River Goes

Nathan Nockels found himself in Colorado sitting around a campfire with friends when someone asked those gathered an uncomfortable question: “What’s something you really like about yourself?” The acclaimed producer, songwriter and composer squirmed in his chair until it was his turn. That’s when he took a deep breath and quietly answered: “I love that no matter how I’m feeling in the moment — if I’m feeling really happy or I’m feeling nostalgic or I’m feeling really bummed — I can put my hands on the keys and then music comes out. I love that I get to sit down at a piano and express what’s in my heart.” The piano is where Nockels always begins, but there’s no end to the instruments he can play. Now, for the first time in his storied career, the accomplished musician is finally releasing music solely by himself through a series of original instrumental projects, giving listeners a glimpse into the composer that has been hiding behind the console since his name began showing up in album credits nearly three decades ago. The Oklahoma native started his musical journey alongside his wife, Christy, touring the country and releasing five full-length projects under the moniker Watermark. When Christy ventured out on her own, he continued to produce all of her LPs. Outside of records for his wife, the father of three, who currently resides in Franklin, Tenn., has spent the past 25 years producing albums for numerous award-winning artists, including Passion, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Laura Story, Phillips, Craig & Dean, Point of Grace, Aaron Shust and Keith and Kristyn Getty, among others. Career-defining, GRAMMY®-winning selections like Redman’s “10,000 Reasons” and Story’s “Blessings” are among the many impactful songs Nockels has helped bring to life. Both his extensive experience in live concert settings and his production prowess on countless projects converge as he steps into his own artistry for the first time. “I’ve been learning the language of notes, texture, tone and harmony across thousands of songs. I’ve been exploring, hacking my way through that jungle for 25 years,” the celebrated arranger observes. “Producing for other artists has helped me figure out different ways of evoking emotion through music.” Intentionally void of a dominant melody, his emotive instrumental debut, Everywhere The River Goes, is comprised of nearly a full hour of nonstop, slow-moving music composed entirely by Nockels. “I created it for the person who just needs peace in their life, driving in their car; they can’t sleep,” Nockels offers. “It feels like you’re getting in a canoe and just floating downstream. That’s what I need to hear. I have enough busyness in my life — sometimes I just need things to be streamlined.” Deliberately sparse, Everywhere The River Goes is simply the initial installment of what’s to come from the multifaceted artist, who is poised to build his body of instrumental work in the months and years to come with every note and every instrument singularly harnessed at the hands of the gifted composer. “The music I’m making is unfiltered. I’m not making it for any specific genre. It’s just a big mix of all the things that have influenced me my whole life,” shares Nockels, who cites film composers Thomas Newman, Nico Muhly and John Williams as his greatest inspirations. “If I could say anything about my music, I would say it’s honest. I’m not trying for it to be anything except beautiful.”