Nathan Clark George

Pull Up A Chair

"...a sound reminiscent of James Taylor, Jim Croce, John Denver and Steve Bell...refreshing..." -- Christian Examiner

"...a captivating documentary..." -- Hollywood Jesus

"...a very satisfying experience...George's music is like bottled fireflies..." -- Christian Cinema

"...one that I can heartily recommend..." -- Past the Popcorn

"...somewhere between Rich Mullins and James Taylor...a warm collection..." -- Soul-Audio

"What a refreshing departure from what has become status quo.  Put this one on your iPod, grab a glass of lemonade, a chair and a front porch and prepare to be enriched." -- Ninety and Nine

Although living in an RV with his wife and their five kids can be a bit noisy, Nathan Clark George has somehow managed to quietly make a name for himself in the music world.  Known for his thoughtful lyrics, acoustic prowess and ability to apply music directly to scripture verses, Nathan has been honored multiple times by his peers and fans alike.  He was nominated twice by the prestigious Independent Music Awards in the Singer/Songwriter category for previous projects and named Acoustic Artist of the Year two years in a row by IndieHeaven.  His unique talent caught the attention of Franklin Springs Family Media earlier this year and they approached Nathan about doing a documentary on his very unorthodox lifestyle.  The result is a new 14-song CD and a High Definition concert/documentary DVD both entitled Pull Up A Chair.

“We’ve been traveling in our motor home for nearly four years now,” says Nathan.  “So it became even more cramped when the documentary guys joined us for a week.”  The result is an intimate look at a very unconventional lifestyle that Nathan says has given his family some best – and worst – moments.

“One of our best moments was at the Grand Canyon,” Nathan recalls. “As we watched the fog rising up out of the canyon, I just began to realize what special opportunities we have had on the road together as a family.”  And the worst?  “Oh, definitely when the sewer tank exploded all over me only a couple of hours before I had a concert.  My Birkenstocks were filled with things we don’t really want to talk about.”

The things Nathan does want to talk about usually end up in the form of a song.  He admits to being a haphazard writer (“most of these songs were written before we began living in the RV”), but he also manages to find quiet moments on the road– even with five kids in tow.

“What If I Were in the Garden” is one of three new studio songs on the Pull Up a Chair CD and the project’s first radio single.  It’s a simple question Nathan posed to himself about his own potential to fail the Lord as the disciples did.  The CD’s title cut reflects on Christ’s willingness to weep with us.  “We too often cocoon ourselves,” says Nathan, “and don’t realize that we are supposed to weep with those who weep and laugh with those who laugh.  We need to engage people on that very personal level.”

Nathan says his most difficult musical undertakings are writing music for scripture. Pull Up a Chair features Psalm 111 and Psalm 24 set to music.  “I treat that process with great fear and reverence,” he says. “The lyrics are written by God, after all. The challenge is to make it flow in a natural way.  A lot of work goes into the phrasing aspect.”

One song on the CD, “Little Trees,” is a reflection on Psalm 1 rather than a verbatim rendering.  “This was really the first time I wrote an expression of a Psalm.  I wrote it from a father’s perspective about raising sons, and it’s probably my favorite song on the project.  When we started out living in the motor home, I worried that I would be damaging my kids.  But honestly, it has given them such a wide view of the world and we’ve been able to do some amazing things together.”

From coffee houses to churches to arts councils and every venue in between, Nathan Clark George keeps his repertoire flexible, but his style consistent.  “People in coffee houses appreciate the scripture songs as much as anything else,” he says.  “I’m just a musician who is willing to go anywhere and sing for anybody.  I really don’t follow the Christian music scene so I don’t know where, or if, I fit in.  I just try to be cognizant of where God wants me and try to stay within that framework.  Even if it means another year in the RV.”

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“Pull Up a Chair: The Story and the Songs with Nathan Clark George”

Produced by Rod and Ken Carpenter

Directed by Ken Carpenter

www.franklinsprings.com