A household name before was even a teenager, Australian musician Nathan Cavaleri has shared the video for his latest single, “Before You Check Out”, in the lead-up to his forthcoming record.
For those unaware of Cavaleri and his work, one could simply sum him up with the jovial use of the word “overachiever”. In fact, Cavaleri’s story is so notable that the 38-year-old’s life is set to be the subject of an upcoming episode of Australian Story this August.
Learning to play guitar to his favourite blues records by the age of three, the aspiring artist made his live debut as a busker at the age of six, bringing in $270 from a 90-minute spot outside his mother’s coffee shop.
The coming years saw Cavaleri diagnosed and treated for leukaemia, with the Starlight Foundation helping him to meet his hero, Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. By the age of ten, he’s managed to appear on television programs like Hey Hey It’s Saturday, while Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, BB King, Etta James, and Bonnie Raitt all listed the youngster as a tourmate.
The accolades kept on coming for Cavaleri though, who performed for US President Bill Clinton, acted on Baywatch, cited Prince and Madonna as fans, and had signed to Michael Jackson’s MJJ Records by the age of 12.
Now, with numerous bands, releases, and personal demons behind him, Cavaleri now finds himself looking ahead, with his first solo record, Demons, set for release on August 6th.
The latest single from the record is the tender “Before You Check Out”, a warm, immersive cut which sees Cavaleri penning the track in honour of a cousin who sadly took his life a few years back
“I strongly identified with what he went through and wished I had reached out to him,” Cavaleri explains of the song’s origins. “Having battled my own demons, I wondered whether my experience would have helped.
“I contemplated what I’d share if time could show mercy. I would share how our thoughts and beliefs colourise our experience and skew our perception of the world, giving us a false sense of reality – a notion that helped me to expose the root of many of my physical and mental health issues that were mistakenly believed to be out of my control.”
Accompanied by a powerful self-directed clip that captures the sentiment of the song (that is, that our views of the world can be tainted by projections of our past), the single is undoubtedly one of the most arresting and mesmerising songs released this year.
With his new record out on August 6th, Cavaleri is also set to head around the country on tour later this year, with performances in New South Wales and Victoria (along with a just-announced Bluesfest slot) set to keep him busy in the near future.
“In contrast to my younger years as a performer, the Demons tour will see me connecting to audiences in an intimate story-telling type of way,” he explains. “As a kid I had something to play, now I have something to say.
“My set will be strung together with epic and incredulous stories of growing up on the road, to how my connection to music deepened when I was battling Leukaemia as a kid, to the lessons I had to learn in more recent years dealing with mental health demons.
“Light and shade of the set mirrors the extreme dynamics of life experiences which I try to express in a raw and relatable way.”
While tickets to the majority of these shows are on sale now, be aware that with COVID-19 social distancing rules and regulations in place, these gigs will only go ahead if deemed safe to do so.
Nathan Cavaleri’s Demons National Tour
Friday, October 2nd
The Rhythm Hut, Gosford, NSW (All Ages)
Tickets: Humantix
Saturday, October 3rd
Stag & Hunter, Newcastle, NSW (18+)
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, October 9th
Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW (18+)
Tickets on-sale soon
Friday, October 30th
Camelot Lounge, Sydney, NSW (All Ages)
Tickets: Stickytickets
Sunday, November 1st
Heritage Hotel, Bulli, NSW (18+)
Tickets on-sale soon
Thursday, November 12th
Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, November 13th
The Catfish, Fitzroy, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Trybooking
Saturday, November 14th
Live At The Bundy, Bundalaguah, VIC (All Ages)
Tickets: Trybooking
Friday, November 27th
The Baroque Room, Katoomba, NSW (18+)
Tickets: Trybooking
