By Mara Dobyns
For anyone who enjoys new music or appreciates listening to more than one genre and musicians who carve their own path, this one’s for you. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview one of my all time favorite artists, Nathan Feinstein. For ten years he wrote, sang, and played guitar in reggae-rock band Iya Terra. He recently left Iya Terra and started from scratch with his new project, Aurorawave.
Sitting here typing about the experience feels surreal. Originally I had anticipated doing an email Q&A. I was over the moon that he had agreed and was stoked in anticipation for his responses. However when deadline began approaching I reached out to see when it would be possible to get those highly anticipated answers. With summer tour starting for them, a brand new (and their first) album on the way, and a to-do list that must be at least a mile long, I was worried there may not be time for the interview after all. Turns out, it was just getting an upgrade. My email Q&A turned into a phone interview with one of the most kind and talented musicians I’ve ever had the opportunity to speak with. It’s my favorite interview to date and I’m so excited to share some of the details with you.
Aurorawave consists of Nathan Feinstein (Aurora) on vocals and guitar, Ray Worrick on bass, Tanner Arebalo on drums and Mike Mocerino on guitar. They are part of the American Reggae rock wave culture that isn’t easily confined to just one box. As fun as staying in the lines is, they like to push boundaries and break the barriers around genres, creating their own unique sound and style. They are a “dynamic and genre-blurring force”. While sounds of classic reggae-rock can be heard on their upcoming self titled album, out everywhere August 2nd, you will also hear heavier riffs and inspiration from other genres. For example, Brandon Seller and Dan Jacobs of Atreyu can be heard on Aurorawave’s track Inferno while The Ghost Inside’s Jonathan Vigil guest vocals on their song Boiling Point. It’s nothing you’d expect and everything you need if you’re looking to expand your musical influences. Despite the harder sounds of some of the songs, the uplifting lyrics and wholesome reggae vibes will have you dancing along in no time at all.
Nathan has always used Instagram as a way to promote his music. Over the last couple of years he has been posting covers of alternative versions of popular songs he’s turned reggae. These have caught lots of attention from viewers all over the world. It’s kind of a wild card to hear songs like Change originally by the Deftones, Metallica’s Enter Sandman, or Beartooth’s In Between with a reggae twist and yet is so unique and fun to hear. Nathan even produced Volume 1 of Pop Punk Goes Reggae where you can hear popular reggae bands like Stick Figure, Ballyhoo, Common Kings, and Hirie, among others cover their own renditions of songs by popular pop punk bands like My Chemical Romance, The Used, Paramore, Simple Plan, A Day To Remember, and even Fall Out Boy. From here you can see how it was a natural evolution to blend genres for the magic that is Aurorawave.
Nathan encourages all artists to break the mold and not overthink specific genres but to create how and what they’d like. When I asked what words of wisdom he would pass on to someone that wants to be exactly where he is now he said “Keep going. Don’t lose that spark that initially started your dream and stick with it.” Another quote from him that I think goes well with this is “It’s not work if you love it. I’ve worked harder on this band than anything else in my life, at home and on the road, yet I’ve never been this fulfilled. Lean into the discomfort y’all. Embrace change and embrace challenges. You never know how amazing it could be on the other side of that leap.”
Nathan mentioned that the support from fans has meant everything especially during this transition. He was grateful and talked about how he wouldn’t be able to do this without them and how much he appreciates the continued listeners. As someone who was originally an Iya Terra fan, initially feeling crushed by the weight of their break up and then getting to witness the growth from one band to another, I think it’s been such an incredible transition. With their passion for the music and all the good intentions, everything just flows. “I’ll never stop, I promise.” Was Nathan’s response when I told him how stoked I was that he was still creating and sharing music with the world. He first picked up a guitar at just ten years old and has never looked back.
Make sure to follow Aurorawave on Instagram: @aurorawavemusic for all the latest info on new music, tour dates and more.
Check out their website: www.aurorawavemusic.com
You can catch Aurorawave at the 7th Annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival on August 3rd & 4th alongside Rebelution, Atmosphere, Shaggy, Cypress Hill, Tribal Seeds, and a few other stellar artists. For tickets and more details: https://www.tixr.com/groups/goodvibez/events/7th-annual-lake-tahoe-reggae-festival-82243
This Fall you can see them open up for The Movement. Get those tour details here: https://www.aurorawavemusic.com/tour
Interested in a bit of Nostalgia? This fun and bouncy album may just make you feel like you’re 15 again. Check out one of Nathan’s creative side projects – Pop Punk Goes Reggae Volume 1 here: https://ineffablerecords.bandcamp.com/album/pop-punk-goes-reggae-vol-1
