Nathan King goes solo for Parachute

Nathan King (from Zed) goes solo this weekend when he plays the Parachute Festival at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. We catch up with him while he's in the early stages of writing some new songs for Zed's third album.

How's it all going?

Just enjoying summer, writing tunes, and doing a few live spots here and there, like Parachute.

Are you writing tunes for a new Zed album?

Definitely. And I'm trying them out on people on my own if I can't get the band together. So basically there's lots of new material I've been working on and I'm just keen to see how it goes down.

What have you guys been up to since the release of This Little Empire?

We spent from July until November in Germany, and doing support slots with bands around Europe like Ash, and the American band the Calling. And we played a random set of shows with Seal, of all people. He's still kicking it in Germany; that was a bit strange.

Who did he just marry?

Heidi Klum, yeah. The model.

Did you meet her?

No, she wasn't on the tour, much to the disappointment of all the boys.

What do your solo performances involve?

I'm just basically Nathan King with an acoustic guitar and some of the new stuff that I've been writing fits in that format quite well, compared to some of the older Zed stuff. I've plucked a few old songs that work well on the acoustic guitar and then combined them with these new ones. It's sounding pretty cool.

It must be scary being up there yourself and not having the other three on stage?

Totally, and I haven't done it much before so it's kind of strange not having the support there. But it's good for me, it's character-building stuff.

What shape have the new songs been taking?

This time round we're hoping the album will be a little more heartfelt and that we can kind of get a bit more soul in there. I think the second album was more aimed towards America and just trying to clean the top. But this time round we're going for a bit more depth. There's all the usual love, and loss, and discovery, but I think they're written in a way that will connect with people a bit more.

So how many times have you been to Parachute? Have you ever played there?

Actually, Zed played back in '98 when we were still a three-piece. But since then I've just attended it as a punter about three times. And now, I've had my arm twisted and I'll be getting up on stage and I'm looking forward to it.

What part does Parachute play on the festival circuit?

I hope it would make a difference in people's lives. Apart from being a really fun and crazy weekend away, I hope it would inspire people. Aside from the music there's a lot of good quality stuff like seminars and different things to try to get you thinking about Christianity, and spiritual direction. That sort of stuff is not the main focus of Parachute but it's a really important part of it. It adds an extra sort of dimension that a lot of festivals lack. It's something quite unique and special.

* Nathan King plays the Parachute Festival, Mystery Creek, Hamilton, today, tomorrow and Monday.