Nathan Sheppard is an Atlanta-based singer/songwriter along the lines of Neil Young or Cat Stevens. Nathan’s songs have appeared on movie soundtracks, internationally distributed TV shows, and nationally distributed CD compilations, for which he currently receives royalties (Nathan is affiliated with BMI). In conjunction with a recent regional hit, he has also made several television appearances and gotten significant radio airplay.

Many of Nathan's compositions are ripe for exploitation, either in their current version, for soundtracks or ads, or as material for other artists to cover. Nathan has a catalog of 50-60 songs across a variety of styles. He has been likened to Cat Stevens and Neil Young, but his writing is different enough to transcend those comparisons. His catalog is a literal treasure trove of quality songs that sound both new and familiar at the same time.

Similar Artists

David Gray, Shawn Mullins, Donovan

Influences

Cat Stevens, Donovan, Bob Dylan, Neil Young

Bio

Nathan Sheppard hails from Savannah, Georgia, the son of a baptist minster. Accordingly, the first music he heard was in church, and he learned to harmonize at an early age while singing along with the choir, and later doing time in a barbershop quartet. But his sisters were also into the pop music of the day, so in addition to hymns he grew up listening to and absorbing the songs of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Donovan, the Moody Blues, Cat Stevens and others that Nathan calls the "masters" — influences that can still be heard in his music today. During senior year of high school a classmate showed him some chords on the guitar, and Nathan spontaneously began writing his own songs. He moved to Athens in 1983 to attend the University of Georgia, but dropped out after two years to devote himself full time to music.

Starting in the late 1980s, Nathan began performing around Athens and nearby Atlanta, both as a solo performer as well as with various incarnations of the Nathan Sheppard Band. He developed a reputation as a "musician's musician," and his songwriting gained maturity and depth, focusing on literate, thought-provoking lyrics combined with memorable melodies. During the 1990s, he recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums while honing his performing skills touring the Southeast, opening for performers from the Neville Brothers and Matthew Sweet to Jewel, Leon Russell, and Jefferson Starship. Hollywood took notice, and his song "Carolina (Home)" was featured on the