Nat Hagey’s ‘Drowned Out’ captivates from the first glance, its artwork—a suspended painting above an endless sea—setting the stage for an introspective journey.

When I sat down to listen to this release, the artwork commanded my attention before I even had a chance to reach for my headphones. I saw an unfinished work being hung out to dry in an impossible position, precariously suspended just barely above a vast ocean with nowhere else to go except down or… up? What or who is holding the painting up? And who is our protagonist? Why is such a simple being outlined with the most ornate of frames? As the music started pouring in, the vision became much clearer: Nat Hagey is the subject, vulnerable yet poised, and the music within was born in those moments of feeling suspended above mortality. It’s only appropriate that this new release is titled ‘Drowned Out.’

Columbus-based multi-instrumentalist Nat Hagey has stepped out into the solo spotlight with this new eponymous presentation, having previously played in groups such as St. Moses the Black, Wing & Tusk, and Petit Mal. Those familiar with Nat’s prior output should be more than pleased with this current formula seamlessly blending electronic folk, Americana, and downtempo. The songs were all written and performed solely by Nat themself, with production handled by returning collaborator Glenn Davis. According to Nat, “each song was written on an acoustic guitar found in the trash and produced to taste,” spoken with the matter-of-fact air one might give the daily weather forecast. Truly, this is merely a testament to the incredible artistry at play here, as well as the forever-appropriate adage that “a bad carpenter blames their tools.” This indomitable approach to art is certainly part of Nat’s charm in understated songwriting that quickly wins people over.

‘Drowned Out’ begins with a simple affirmation reflective of the themes throughout – themes of loneliness, listlessness, and longing. ‘Can’t Rewind’ is a warm embrace of the present, a declaration to take risks while you can without getting hung up on the past. Acoustic guitar and vocals anchor as you might expect, letting you enjoy the delicate ballet between everything else occurring: Upright bass accents, violin swells, and muted percussion melting into melancholic musings. Once the electric guitar enters in closure, the waves on the cover appear to move. Track two, ‘Different Waves,’ is my personal favorite here; it’s a psychedelia-tinged low volume jam featuring a driving rhythm section centered around a deftly moving bass part. It may be the shortest track on here, but it shows true restraint in not allowing it to meander on the record. It would most certainly make for an otherworldly extended jam in a live context, especially with an expanded entourage of like-minded eccentrics on stage. An alternative version to the previously-released single ‘Diamond Ring’ follows, primarily adding a frantic drum part to enhance the sense of anxiety. Patient marimba intertwines with the percussion while pads of delayed guitar brew the unease. Before you know it, you’re at the end with ‘Looking Deep,’ the most pop-influenced track amongst the rest. The electronic influences shine brightly here with layers of classic drum sounds and stabs as well as pads of vocal harmonies, providing an introspective yet hopeful closure to this journey.

According to Nat, this is just the start. “There’s so much more to share,” a quick nod to more thoughts that need to be made into more art. With what has been presented here, I can only hope that the catharsis of the artistic process has helped to lift the painting of Nat’s life away from the ocean and closer to the ever-elusive shore of peace and understanding.

The cover art for this release is very striking. How did it materialize? Did it start as a collaborative process, or was that a sort-of “happy accident” with the framing?

Both!

I knew that I wanted to work with Vittoria. We collaborated on the painting in 2021. She was doing a lot of work like this with clean color movements and she worked on a couple concepts for me.

Fast forward to 2024, I’m finally ready to release the songs. I made a bunch of frames in different scenes and stuck with the cover you see now because it’s how I look back on that time… I felt framed, “lost at sea,” surrounded by beauty.

What inspired you to create a second version of the song ‘Diamond Ring’?

I think ‘Diamond Ring – Beat/Up Version’ came from the tediousness of losing sanity. At the time, I was pretty frustrated.

What sort of challenges did you overcome with approaching this effort as a solo project vs. your previous music groups?

1. I had to be confident in my own expression, voicing, production, these are things that I’ve usually let others own. In a band, I’m more of the muse of the music… not the best player, but notable instincts/feel and a #9 peacemaker.

2. I had to grow each song from voice memo to finished production. This was overcome by focusing on influences to guide the production. I’m excited to try other methods and continue learning how to raise beautiful young songs.

For the gear-minded folks out there (such as myself), what’s the story behind finding the acoustic guitar you used to write this record in the trash?

I feel at home with how it’s broken and beautiful at the same time.

My sister found this guitar by the curb on trash day and gave it to me… I tried to give up music a few years later and left it at the German Village Music Haus. I came back a year or so later and asked the owner, Bill Foley if he still had it. He’s a luthier who makes beautiful guitars, yet he kept it in the back for me… I was blown away. There’s something about being thrown away a few times and still being awesome.

That said, I am gonna buy a really nice guitar someday.

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