Nathan Haines: “Everything in my life comes back to music”
Nathan Haines, a musical chameleon hailing from New Zealand, has been at the forefront of both electronic and jazz music for over three decades. As one of the country’s most prolific musical exports, Haines has fused jazz and dance music traditions, creating a genre-bending sound that’s instantly recognizable.
Photo Credit: Kerry Brown
With a career spanning 11 studio albums and countless collaborations, this saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer continues to push the boundaries of music.
August 2024 marks a significant milestone in Haines’ illustrious career with the release of his 11th studio album ‘Notes’, his most personal to date. This album, his first in over six years, showcases Haines‘ evolution as an artist, embracing electronic, house, and disco influences while staying true to his jazz roots. The project holds a bittersweet note, featuring production from the UK producer Phil Asher in one of his final projects before his untimely passing in 2021.
Haines’ roster of collaborators reads like a who’s who of the music industry, including Damon Albarn, Marlena Shaw, and the NZ Symphony Orchestra. His ability to seamlessly blend diverse musical styles has earned him multiple Jazz Album of the Year awards and cemented his place as a celebrated figure in both electronic and jazz circles.
In this exclusive interview, EG sits down with Nathan Haines to delve into his recent release, explore his creative process, and get a glimpse of the exciting projects that lie ahead.
EG: Hi, Nathan! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
Nathan Haines: Hey I’m in London. Good to be back! I just played at Ronnie Scotts with Myele Manazanza, and I am recording tomorrow with Lewis Moody and some members of Kokoroko in South London…I’m also starting rehearsals for the Jazz Cafe Show on August 7. Feeling refreshed and ready to rock!
EG: First of all, congratulations on the incoming release of your 11th (yes, eleventh) studio album! You must be very excited to share this one. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Nathan Haines: I think people and DJ’s have liked the first three singles but you never really know until a bit later down the track. I could check my streaming stats but fuck that.
EG: So, what’s ‘Notes’ all about? What can your fans expect to find on this one?
Nathan Haines: ‘Notes’ took me 10 years to complete. It’s a story of where I’m at now musically and where I’ve come from. I started this record with Phil Asher about 5 years ago in earnest (I had been working on a follow-up to my 2014 album ‘Zoot Allure’).
EG: As we know, ‘Notes’ was produced by, the now late, Phil Asher. What was it like coming together with Phil once again, having already collaborated on ‘Sound Travels’ and ‘Squire For Hire’? How did your relationship come to be and how did it evolve?
Nathan Haines: I met Phil through the London scene in about 1998. At that point, I had already been playing weekly with Paul Trouble Anderson at the Loft in Camden and was pretty deeply embedded in that scene via him – also my good friend Roy the Roach (who actually got me over to London in 1995) was helping me get gigs and introducing me to many people.
I was also doing a weekly night at the Notting Hill Arts Club called Bemsha where I played live sets with my band (those band members went on to be part of regular touring and recording set-up) and I also booked DJs…everybody from Goldie to Paul Trouble Anderson and of course Phil Asher. It was the starting point for me to try some ideas and get involved in the London scene.
I had come from a jazz background, but I was always interested in the cross-section of jazz harmony and modern production…and London was the place! It was a very very special time for music (and of course still is!). I’ve met many younger (than myself) producers and DJs who have told me those records Phil and I made were pivotal for them getting into production, so that’s been an amazing journey to see now 20 years those things we did are getting another round of appreciation. It makes it all worthwhile!
The first thing Phil got me into the studio on was a track called ‘Back to Earth’ in 1998, and then we worked together more and more and more. At that time Phil was doing a lot of remixes as well as one-off productions or EPs for labels. The scene was very healthy. In 1999 Phil was approached by Chillifunk Records to do a solo album, but instead, he suggested he produce a solo album for me, and the deal was done. The first single from ‘Sound Travels’ was ‘Earth is the Place’ which was instantly taken up with DJ’s worldwide. It was a big record for both of us that really cemented what we were trying to do musically. It still gets played a lot. I met Ron Trent in NZ earlier in the year and he told me he had been playing it every night on his tour. I am actually joining Ron’s live band at We Out There on August 16.
EG: ‘Notes’ also features an exceptional number of collaborations. How do you go about selecting who to work with? Does the idea come first, or do you start from scratch with each collaborator? When does a track “need” a collaborator?
Nathan Haines: It’s a very organic process that’s for sure! I guess I just reach out to people and see how it goes. I like to work with people who have a similar vision and vibe. In terms of starting from scratch, I would start with my own keys playing or work with a keyboardist or guitarist to get the actual chord structure down then try some different approaches production-wise. On ‘Notes’, many of the songs have been through several different versions in terms of production – with drums, without drums, changing sections, taking out sections, or scrapping all together. When I got closer to the finish of the album I got a sense of what I needed. I always think in terms of a complete album – a listening journey. It’s not a collection of tracks. It’s a whole piece and concept that works together in order.
“I always think in terms of a complete album – a listening journey. It’s not a collection of tracks. It’s a whole piece and concept that works together in order”
EG: On a different subject, ‘Notes’ also finds you touching upon your journey with throat cancer. How did this battle impact your outlook on life, music and the act of creation?
Nathan Haines: Well that was 6 years ago now and I am now in very fine health – probably way better than when I was in my 40s! I mean it was a massive life-changing event. One great thing that came out of it was as soon as Phil heard, he was right on the phone calling me every day in hospital and it was this renewal of our friendship that lead to us working again.
After we finished ‘Squire for Hire’ in 2003, both of us were going through a lot of changes personally and I had literal burnout, so we parted ways. We had made two amazing albums together over a period of four years and had been working together a lot for over six years. We had been so involved in each other’s lives, gigging together, countless hours in the studio together, writing together, you can imagine! We had always kept in touch, but it wasn’t until my diagnosis that Phil really reached out to me again, and out of that we decided to make an album with him as co-producer based around some demos I had. Phil had said now after all these years I was very much in the driver’s seat (also we had to work online as I was in NZ and he was in London!), but we had a lot of ideas of what this album could be.
So I had to take this, then develop it in his absence, but keeping the spirit of what we would have done alive. It was a big challenge but I just had to go with my gut and my natural instincts. I enlisted good friend Frank Booker to do some beats and also Marc Mac from 4Hero for a track. Phil had given me a folder of beats so I used these as a starting point. That’s the album.
In terms of how the diagnosis and many operations and time in hospital affected me – well at first I couldn’t even swallow water and I had no voice whatsoever. So imagine that and what it did to my life and my family (my son was only 3). I just had to rebuild my life and my health, dying was never an option. I worked hard on my health, I stopped drinking (I am now 5 and half years sober) and I guess you could say I have a new start. And a new album! So when I say ‘Notes’ is about my life, it’s about ALL OF THIS. It’s all in the song ‘Notes’ I am singing, which as you can imagine was a big big thing for me to do after losing my voice. This is my voice now. I had to use what I’ve got now.
EG: After 11 studio albums, how does one stay creative and hungry? Are there things that you haven’t had a chance to explore yet?
Nathan Haines: Of course! The list is toooooo long. However, I have been so blessed to have a very varied and rich musical life and have worked with so many great musicians from all sorts of different musical styles. For me, there are no genres – music to me has to speak to me, and I find this happens instantly. If I am drawn to a sound or a musician then that’s it; I just go for it. At this stage in my life and where I’m at I trust my instincts and just go for it.
EG: Regarding AI, which seems to be such a hot topic these days…What’s your stance on this? Has any form of AI been used in ‘Notes’?
Nathan Haines: Haha. Nothing can replace people doing actual real shit EVER! AI can be used as a tool sure but I didn’t use it for this album ever at any stage. Life is filled with so many riches and I have a vast store-house of ideas and inspirations in my mind that I can go back to any time. I am following in the footsteps of my heroes and am blessed to be doing that. Stay humble, stay focused, speak your truth through your instrument or computer or whatever – I’m just trying to share the vast love of music that is central to my being. Everything in my life comes back to music. It’s the way I express myself.
However, I am a human being first and a musician second. It took me a while to realize this. I was very tied up with trying to be this or that or living up to other’s expectations. That eventually got me in a lot trouble with my soul, but you know after what I’ve been through, walking in the Valley of Death so to speak and losing everything, absolutely everything, and then having to rebuild, I’ve learned what’s important. And it’s not how many followers you have on IG, etc.
My music is about humanity. Music comes out of humanity and is one way we as humans express what it means to be human. There is a dehumanizing effect with so much of modern life.
“Stay humble, stay focused, speak your truth through your instrument or computer”
EG: Finally, what can we expect from Nathan Haines in the next months? Where can your fans catch you playing live? Will you have live shows to promote ‘Notes’?
Nathan Haines: I am sure Abi from Kartel has given you London dates:
July 31 – BBE album pre-release party: DJ/live set featuring Vanessa Freeman on vocals
August 7 – Jazz Cafe: Performance with a 14-piece band, including many original members from the ‘Sound Travels’ and ‘Squire for Hire’ albums
August 16 – We Out There: Guest appearance with Ron Trent’s live band
November 2 – Powerstation, Auckland: Album release show with a 10-piece band
Additionally, I’ll be embarking on a DJ tour across Australia in September/October to promote the album.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Nathan! We wish you all the best for the future. Take care!
Nathan Haines: Thanks for the opportunity. God bless.
Nathan Haines ‘Notes’ is now available via EMK. Stream and download here.
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