Every artist has a song that changes everything. For me, that song is “Come Back Down.”
Losing a friend
After a friend of mine passed away, I stepped back from releasing music. When I returned, I created Nate Sanway as a way to express myself honestly and show the world how I truly feel.
“Come Back Down” is the song that finally inspired me to release music. Each of my songs carries its own meaning, but this is where it all began. Like everything I release, every lyric and every moment in it is intentional.
The first time I played it for someone
I first played it for a close friend over the phone. They had never heard me make anything so honest about myself and what I was going through at the time. They connected with it deeply, and they were proud that I had finally found my voice and the words to say what was on my mind.
Not everyone understood it right away. When I shared it with a few other people, they didn’t quite see where I was coming from. It sounded completely different from anything I had shown people before. Most of my earlier music was traditional hip-hop, like the older songs still on my SoundCloud.
Raw emotion vs. a finished record
I fell in love with the rough mix. Once the song was mastered, I didn’t like it as much at first, even though I knew it was a far better record overall. Part of me wanted it to stay raw and full of emotion, but the quality of the final mix and master won out. It’s a balance I still think about with every song I make.
Not every song calls for 16 bars
I love writing rap songs, and sometimes I just want to rap. But “Come Back Down” showed me how quickly rappers can be put in a box. Not every song calls for 16 bars, and some of the best songs ever written aren’t rap at all. Hip-hop is arguably the most important genre I’ve ever heard, and I would never diminish it. But as an artist, you never want to feel confined.
From one song to the Beginner’s Luck EP
Once that song came together, I released the Beginner’s Luck EP, a collection of songs I had been working on since I started making music and felt were strong enough to stand on their own.
At the time, I second-guessed the release. There was a lot I wanted to change. Looking back, I’m glad I released it anyway. Having my first official release out in the world was surreal.
What came next
After Beginner’s Luck, I released singles sporadically. I lost momentum and wasn’t using my time as well as I could have. That’s when I realized I needed to learn what I didn’t know, which ultimately led me to study music production at Full Sail University.
Listen to “Come Back Down” by Nate Sanway
Listen to “Come Back Down” and the rest of my catalog:
- Nate Sanway on Spotify
- Nate Sanway on Apple Music
- Nate Sanway on YouTube
- Nate Sanway on Bandcamp
- All my links in one place
You can also listen to my music here on the site on the Music page. For features, collaborations and bookings, reach out here.
