The Kesmar interview
KESMAR’s Always Chasing Rainbows is a bold and inviting new step for Sydney-based musician Nathan Hawes, showcasing an evolution in sound and songwriting that comes with immense personal growth as an artist. There’s a classic feel to these eight songs, with gorgeous melodies steeped in the soft-hued sounds of the 1970s—but Always Chasing Rainbows also sounds equally in step with Hawes’ contemporaries, cementing him as an exciting new voice in modern pop music. Always Chasing Rainbows is the latest move from the already-accomplished Hawes, who took up guitar at a young age and was drawn to music since he was able to sing. After he adopted KESMAR as his recording moniker, Hawes dove deep into the sphere of self- production, gaining tons of analog studio know-how while falling in love with the golden- hued pop-rock he was raised on. “I’m such a sponge—when I find something, I love to learn everything about it,” he says, and after linking up with Tobias Priddle (“He’s the one who taught me how to put the pieces of the puzzle together”) his first EP as KESMAR, Up to You, saw release in 2019. After releasing his dynamic second EP Forever Holiday in 2021, Hawes had planned on recording Always Chasing Rainbows with Priddle — but when Australia went under a second lockdown, he decided to take a different and more hands-on route.
“I’d stay up all night and read interviews of how classic albums were recorded, and then I’d take those ideas into the studio,” he recalls while discussing the road to self-producing the record. “I started getting closer to the sound that I’d heard in my head all these years.” An integral element of bringing those songs to life is Hawes’ analog approach to recording, as he wields musical technologies from the past to craft his utterly timeless sound. “My process of recording and recording on tape is something I practice almost daily at home,” he explains. “It’s a constant cycle — an incredibly simple way of recording that took me many months to learn — but I love the performance element of recording to tape. As I’m recording and playing all of the instruments myself, the tape machine is like a second person making me commit to my own ideas.” And the album title itself draws from that strong sense of commitment that drives Hawes in his musical pursuits. “It’s about that feeling of being constantly dissatisfied, in a good way,” he explains. “Artists are always chasing something else, and for me it’s that song that captures a feeling that I hope to have forever.” While drawing from a wide range of influences from Jeff Lynne, Steely Dan, and the Beach Boys to cultishly beloved Scottish acts like Chris Rainbow and Pilot, Hawes struck out to “make something that was very organic-sounding—very real and raw. In an era where music can sound so perfect, I wanted to make everything sound as imperfect as I could.”
Picking up where Forever Holiday’s warm, impeccably produced tunes left off, Always Chasing Rainbows draws the listener in immediately with a heavenly opening title track featuring vocals from Flore Beneguigui of French disco-pop band L’Imperatrice. Lead single “Out of Luck” features peppy percussion and a lovely, swinging gait, a gem of a song inspired by his girlfriend’s love of ‘60s pop, as well as the aftereffects of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I hated the idea of writing a COVID song, but it just came out,” he explains while talking about the song’s thematic center. “I loved the repetitiveness of the day, but I missed playing shows. I was putting off the things I love because I was waking up later.” As the song takes its final turn, the major-key ending comes to represent, in his words, “Me coming out of everything and realizing it’s all gonna be okay.” “Day by Day” shimmers with a disco-fied touch, its sparkling sound serving as the perfect compliment to the contemplative lyrics. “It’s a break-up song where I’m telling myself I’m gonna be fine,” he explains. “When someone leaves your life, it can be somewhat traumatic to the point where you can forget that you’ll end up being fine.” Then there’s the subtly funky “Is It You I Miss,” adorned with the type of sunny harmonies so key to Hawes’ musical touchstones. “When you listen to so much music from a certain era, it bleeds into your subconscious and your songwriting,” he states while talking about the song’s sound.
“It’s the most true and honest music that I’ve made, because it’s been just me,” Hawes continues while discussing the overall aim of Always Chasing Rainbows, as well as how excited he is for his thrilling new direction to reach the general public. “I wanted to get the best out of me as an artist. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve wanted to make this sort of music for a long time, and I can’t wait for them to hear it.”
Photo Credit: Jenaya Okpalanze
Are you originally from Sydney, Australia? What was your childhood like? When did you first begin to fall in love with music? Was music something that was relevant around your household growing up? Do you have any siblings?
I’m originally from the Central Coast, which is about an hour and a half from Sydney. I’ve lived around the shop, but now I reside in Kiama. My childhood was great, always playing music, its always been a part of my life, I can’t remember a time when music wasn’t around. I really can’t thank my parents enough for playing the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Steely Dan over and over. And yep, I have an older sister.
What would you and your friends do for fun growing up? Who were some of your earliest influences in your more formative years? When and where did you see your very first concert and when did you realize you wanted to spend your life pursuing music?
Coming from a coastal town surfing was the next best thing to do, Australia is such a beautiful country to grow up in. I was super into folk when I was growing up, I guess because it was the only thing really around in terms of musical equipment. I always had an acoustic guitar laying around so it felt quite natural to play and listen to folk music. I don’t think there was an exact moment I could pinpoint thinking “This is what I want to do” It was always something i was just doing, I don’t really have too many other skills haha, music is really just it.
Did you participate in any groups prior to KESMAR? When and where did you play your very first gig? What initially inspired you to put together KESMAR? You released your debut EP “Forever Holiday” in 2021. Can you tell me about writing and recording that album and what the overall approach was?
I had a folk solo project that was under my name, as I grew older I wanted to experiment more, so I bought a laptop with garage band and never stopped. My previous EP was I guess the first step in the direction I wanted to go in. Previously I had worked with many amazing producers and writers, but it never felt right. I needed to learn more of my craft, so I just worked by myself for a few years to get my confidence back and it resulted in “Forever Holiday”.
Would you mind walking me through some of the songs that are featured on the album such as “Nothing To Lose”, “Waiting” and “Back Up”? What was that chemistry like as someone thats been involved with your work and has played in your corner in the past?
Tobias is one of my closest friends and the only person I’ve really trusted with my work, he’s taught me everything there is to know. We wrote “Nothing to Lose” together in an evening and its my favorite track on that EP. ”Back Up” was written by myself and “Waiting” was a collaboration with my pal Tim Ayre, again another longtime friend and constant collaborator.
Photo Credit: Jenaya Okpalanze
Tell me about writing and recording your most recent album “Always Chasing Rainbows” that is set for release May 12. What did you ultimately want to explore and express with this material? Tell me about self producing, recording, and mixing this entire record on your own. Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?
This record was a huge challenge, taking on my first record by myself, but I knew it was the way it needed to be done. The approach for this record was to keep it simple and leave it down to the song writing. I recorded a lot of the demos on an 8-track reel to reel. I made a method if I can’t get it to sound good on my 8-track then its not going on the record. Self-producing, engineering and writing can leave a lot of time for over thinking, so I think implementing rules like that can help. I’m super proud of this record and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it! Just thank I appreciate anyone who takes the time to listen to my songs!
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