Nathan
We first met Big Brother Celebrity Hijak contestant Nathan Fagan-Gayle when he was played Manchester with M.I.A and the Mitchell Brothers. It seems despite being tipped at the new Craig David he never did quite make it so expect lots of impromptu singing around the house over the next few weeks....there's no doubting the guy can sing and he's a charmer so expect him to be the first celebrity to pull.
Here's the original interview with Nathan from back in April 2004....
Tipped by many to follow in the footsteps of Craig David, Nathan has not yet risen to the promise of a Bo Selecta character and bird called Kes. He has however released two singles "Come Into My Room" and "Round & Round" which set up up more as a British answer to Mario. Designer Magazine caught up with Nathan to find out about spanking, sweating and the forthcoming line of NFK Towels!!
Q: Let's get the introduction over with. Nathan, where's
your surname?
A: Or surnames, it's double barrel. (pronounces an indecipherable
name on the tape). But most of the time I use my initial NFG rather than
my whole name. I like to keep my privacy, you know what I mean. (laughs)
Q: So when did you get started in music?
A: I was always singing and performing, just dancing
and rapping and stuff. My mums an actress so she was always performing
and I just got it from her. About 9 or 10, I was living in America at the
time, I just started to perform and I wanted to go on stage and get comfortable
on stage. Performing is just like the best thing in the world.
Q: Apparently everyone's tipping you as the next Craig
David. Does that mean you're gonna have just 1 year of success and then
be known forever as being a latex puppet?
A: (laughs) That's not fair. Craig is very successful
and I look up to him because he's flying the flag for the UK, especially
abroad as well. I don't think the UK recognizes how much respect Craig
David has, do you know what I'm saying. Because over here you've got things
like Bo Selecta which isn't helping. But he's very well respected, he's
sold loads of albums in a lot of territories. I wouldn't want the Bo Selecta
face mask...but big up to Craig David
Q: And I believe you've been touring with Mario out
in the States as well?
A: Yeah, but i've done it over here as well. When they
come over I usually support. I've supported Alicia Keys, Mario, ATL and
Ja Rule. When they come over I usually get on the support slots because
there's a lot of promoters that like what i'm doing and they want to show
my talent out there.
Q: People keep comparing you to the next Craig David,
but I see you as the British Mario.
A: Even that as well, because he's sold a lot of albums
and gets a lot of respect. I'd like to be known as an artist in my own
right, but I don't mind being compared because the people that you guys
are comparing me to are very successful people so i'm just trying to get
to the same level.
Q: What do you think is the main difference between
British Urban music and American Urban music?
A: To tell you the truth, right now the only difference
between British Urban music and American Urban music is the media. The
media controls a lot of how much is heard of British Urban music. All it
takes is the mainstream media to get behind the British urban scene and
just push it. At the end of the day it's easy for an American artist to
release a tune over here, you know what i'm saying, it's harder for an
English artists to release a tune in their own country. It's a real double
standard and I just don't get it. There's a lot of artists coming out and
all we need is the support on a bigger scale.
Q: Out of all the artists playing tonight to be honest
you're the most Americanized?
A: I don't mind people saying that. I like to make international
music that. Universal music that everyone can get down to. I'm international
- I was born in the UK and i've lived in New York and Jamaica for 8 or
9 years between the two. So I like to think of myself at UK based, but
i'm international as well. I like to make international music for international
people.
Q: I noticed on stage before your favourite word is
spanking?
A: Spanking, your know what i'm saying, there's nothing
wrong with a little bit of spanking....Spanking new music that is.
Q: The last single "Come Into My Room"
A: I got a lot of good feedback for that song and it
my first single. A lot of people heard who I was through that song. Now
I'm just trying to take it to an even higher level. The next songs called
"Round And Round". I'm really excited about it cos I tried to make a song
that's better than "Come Into My Room"...and hopefully I've done it.
Q: Have you had more action since "Come Into My Room"?
A: (Laughs) It depends. Did I have action before "Come
Into My Room"? No comment. I'll just leave it to the imagination of the
fans listening out there. I've had fun...lets put it that way
Q: What's "Round And Round" about then?
A: "Round And Round" is a little more grown up. Any time
your caught in a relationship and you feel you're trying to make it work...and
another person isn't really trying, you feel like you're going round and
round in circles, you know what i'm saying. Anybody that's been in a relationship
can relate to it..and even if you're playing Playstation or playing football
and you can't score - it's round and round you go
Q: The Nathan look - it's a towel on the head and a
towel on the t-shirt?
A: We always rock the towels. I sweat like Luther Vandross.
When i'm on stage I like to work up a sweat. The new NFG towels are coming
to a store near you!!!
Q: And the future? Is there an album on the way?
A: We're recording at the moment. We've got about 15
tracks ready and there's no end to the recording cos we just want to handpick
the best. I'm just trying to do everything that people want to hear because
there's some great R&B artists that have great voices, but don't release
the type of R&B that people wanna hear.
The producers that produced "Come Into My Room" and "Round
And Round" have produced a lot of the album. They're a team called Syklone
and they've worked with Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Mark Morrison. I can't
take the crown from the Mack Mark Morrison, i'm just trying to make a crown
for myself.
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For more info on Nathan
www.comeintomyroom.com
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