Nathaniel Cole describes the concept behind his latest single with a rather dire “we live and die by our vices.” Despite the single’s artwork, which makes it look like the single might have been cobbled together from the spare parts of the next 007 film (yes, we’d absolutely watch that), instead Cole addresses some very real and immediate issues when it comes to de-railing a creative career.
Cole explains that the subject matter of the single is a rather personal one: the feeling that his own creativity has been stifled by some of the choices he’s made in life.
These aren’t always easy choices, particularly when it comes to the arts. As Cole explains, sometimes these choices are purely vices, while others are far more mundane. Far from a tight-rope walk, they can range from substance abuse to simply having to keep up a day job, but either can have a dramatic impact on creative output.
“I just felt like I haven’t been able to reach my full creative limit,” says Cole. “I thought about it from a broader perspective and myself like a lot of people, have some vices that I have needed to evaluate.”
Instead of packing it in, Cole says he finds the challenge inspires him to work all that much harder on his creative projects whenever possible.
“I’ve watched some friends go down a path that may not be allowing them to reach their full potential, whether it be with their substance use, or being stuck in a job they hated,” says Cole.
“Seeing people we care about not achieve their full potential when these things are standing in their way is frustrating and upsetting. Sometimes it just takes that decision to give it up, to be able to move on to better things.”
The single also includes a verse from Syrian-Lebanese-Haligonian artist, Shanii22, and formed the basis of Cole’s new collaborative project which is expected to be released sometime later this year.