Dalton

LA musician Nate Harar operates under the moniker Dalton. On February 23, he'll release his self-titled debut album on Fierce Panda, inviting the world into his bubble of "no-frills", emo-tinged lo-fi pop. 'What Should Never End' is the perfect introduction to that, glimmering melodies presented in scruffy production like sparkling white trainers deliberately battered and dirtied to make them seem more lived in. "I wish I could but it never goes my way," sighs Harar over Replacements-esque guitars, smothered in a rattling fuzz. There's a charm to his melancholy, though - one that draws you in and holds you close until the song's final notes. - NME

The term 'singer-songwriter' has become equivalent in musical terms to the plague thanks to a deluge of identikit nondescripts clogging up the airwaves this past decade. Nevertheless, for every Blunt, Ezra or Sheeran there's always a creative ray of sunshine escaping through the cracks. In this case, one Nate Harar, who goes by the name of Dalton. A troubadour in every sense, Harar's nomadic existence has seen him recently take up residence in Los Angeles, and it was here that his self-titled debut was conceived. Having spent his early years playing in New York five-piece Sugar It's Eli before their break up four years ago, Harar decided to go it alone shortly after. Having put out a six-track EP - also entitled Dalton - in the summer of 2012, he's spent the interim period honing his craft in a way that draws comparisons not only with modern day contemporaries Kurt Vile and Ty Segall, but also references the past in places, most notably J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr along with The Replacements.

Indeed, as lo-fi, bedroom-recorded self-produced long players go, Dalton is something of a triumph for its creator. Interestingly borne partly out of an obsession with David Bowie dating back to his childhood, the ten songs that make up Dalton show a diversity many modern day singer/songwriters lack. Sure, there's a feeling parts of Dalton may have been sculpted by trial and error but that only serves to make Harar's efforts more endearing in the process. Clearly a labour of love – a facet which no doubt attracted legendary indie Fierce Panda to his wares – Dalton represents an artist at ease with himself and definitely not in thrall to any cliched rock and roll aesthetic many of his peers find themselves embroiled in.

Opener 'Bedford And Grand' sets the scene impeccably, a simple piano intro giving way to Harar's apologetic vocal as words like "I don't wanna be there when you fall again" serve to remind us of its creator's human side. As well as the aforementioned, there's touches of Evan Dando in the way Harar takes a sincere approach to lyric writing. Take the slightly more upbeat 'What Never Should End' for instance. While musically indebted to the likes of The Posies or (them again) The Replacements, there's something undeniably poignant about the way Harar insists "But it never goes my way".

At times, Dalton finds itself stripped back to the bare bone. Literally. Closer 'So Long So Well' sounds quite lethargic in its delivery, its subject matter lamenting the breakdown of a relationship. Whereas delicate acoustic strummer 'Autumnal' (key lyric: "You drive me in, I'll drag you down") and Sixties flavoured jaunt 'For the Last' highlight more strings to Harar's ever widening bow of talents.

It's when Harar rocks out that Dalton comes into its own. His scuzzy drawl on 'Control' could be a dead ringer for J Mascis-circa Bug (not to mention the accompanying guitar sounds) while the metallic sheen of 'Second Life Afterglow' has more in common with blokes in studs and leather than those that opt to sit on stools playing acoustic guitars.

Elsewhere, 'Breaker' reveals more of Harar's inner sensitivity and 'Only Names' provides a claustrophobic atmosphere befitting of a record made in such a refined setting. Although not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, Dalton feels like an album that was made with the very best intentions. Unconstrained by constraints and honest as the day is long, this is just the beginning for what promises to be a long and fruitful career. - Drowned In Sound

D.C. via L.A. singer-songwriter Nate Harar, also known as Dalton, has uncovered his new single "Only Names".

Littered with marimba clonks and stadium-rock tom splatters, this is a percussive feast. It's laced with Harar's aching-yet-melodic croon, and despite the overall hugeness of each individual element, they together sound remarkably intimate. Humbling, even. It's one of those tracks that builds and buids and builds, never quite reaching the climax it sounds like it should; you're left on tenterhooks, clamouring for more.

The single is released 15 December on In Stereo Records. Harar's new LP is due in 2015 via Fierce Panda. - The Line of Best Fit

This is a strong debut from Nate Harar, who combines intimacy and attention to detail with a genuine sense of melody and an occasional tendency to rock out. His plaintive voice is slight but endearing, carrying soothing melodies like "New Time" and "Bedford and Grand", which switches between simple piano and bristling guitars.

There's real ambition on "Only Names", with the epic coiled grace of The National, the powerful and jubilant "For the Last" and "Second Life (Afterglow)", which has Oasis-like grandeur - but also room for low-key numbers: the catchy strum of "Autumnal" and yearning "So Long, So Well". - Uncut Magazine

Dalton is a truly individual talent.

Glorious, joyous melodies delivered in a raw, unkempt fashion, the American artist can be tender without being mawkish, emotive without being trite.

At times direct, at others obtuse, Dalton's work delights in sidestepping categorization. Completing work on his debut album, the songwriter has been able to match his fascination with The Big Music – classic artistry, in other words – with a desire for something truthful, honest.

“The best songs are the ones that come out of you and sound so natural that you think, 'I hope nobody's written this before',” he explains. “Usually if you're struggling with a song for a long time, it's not worth it."

It's been more than worth it. Debut album 'Dalton' is released today (February 23rd) and it's a warm, embracing offering from a songwriter just coming to grips with his own potential. - Clash Music

If there’s one thing lazy music hacks love, it’s being able to pigeonhole artists; an invented portmanteau genre, a couple of bands to which they can claim homage is paid, and boom, job done. Nate Harar, the motherfucker behind Dalton, had other ideas for us. To his credit, the result is pretty astounding, his debut veering from delicate piano-led ballads to lo-fi slacker-pop to rough-edged punk to bleak, dreamy minimalism to anthemic college-rock to country-flecked folk and, Jesus Christ, the list goes on. Crucially, Dalton’s disparate collection of tracks avoids tripping over itself into a directionless heap, the album drawn together and contextualized by the presence of thoroughly brilliant songwriting throughout. Intriguing, smart and catchy, you’ve sort of got to ask: why can’t all music be this great? - London In Stereo

Rising L.A. transplant Nate Harar, alias Dalton, was born in Washington, D.C. before temporarily relocating to Brooklyn, NYC; and this all-over-the-shop modus vivendi is pretty transparently reflected in his modus operandi, and Only Names. For vocally evocative of Thomas James Gabel (if less so Laura Jane Grace) and Isaac Brock likewise, and musically reminiscent of those more readily likeable, honeyed moments from Psychocandy, a great array of influences have audibly been swirled in with this one. Nonetheless, Only Names makes not only for a remarkably palatable introduction, but above all, an improbably cohesive one as well. Forget Just Like Honey therefore, for there is every suggestion here that Harar may yet stick about for some while still to come… - Dots and Dashes

It’s a difficult one to place, this self-titled debut LP from Dalton. Drifting, as it does, between a small catchment of genres, never really finding its feet but breeding a sense of brooding disquiet and endearment in its ability to exist and thrive in this kind of fluctuating state. The solo project of Nate Harar, we’ve been fans of his Dalton project since first hearing his debut EP about eighteen months ago. That offering was a bit more straightforward; three tracks of fuzzy guitar pop, straight-laced and intuitive it both was and wasn’t an indicator of his capabilities.

Those hazy rock ‘n’ roll songs are still present, from the formidable ‘Control‘ to the rousing ‘For The Last’ but it’s when he strays away from these solid frames that the real depth to this record shines through. It’s often the ballads that give the most away about songwriters and that proves to be the case here. Sentimental vexations are slowly unearthed and subsequently disclosed through a variety of soft, yearning declarations, complete with subtle guitar builds and hearty vocal displays.

So there are two very distinctive sides to this album, one snarling, one suggestive, but perhaps what’s most impressive is how easily they’re bound together. What might have been somewhat catatonic becomes something far more seamless, thanks mostly to the strength of Harar’s convictions. These are his stories, from start to finish, and because of that what we’re left with is a coherent telling, no matter how those narratives might be delivered.

A dependable, rugged but deeply engaging collection of songs, it never once pauses to question itself or its motives and, in doing so, delivers a hefty, melodramatic blow to the senses that will stay with you for you days. Stream the whole thing exclusively below. - GoldFlakePaint

Any fan of the summer (or global warming) will immediately latch on to Dalton. This is the scrappy, thrown together energy of Brooklyn's native son Nate Harar. A man with a deep, abiding belief in the power of the sun to work out whatever kinks are found in his guitar jams. 'Breaker' might not blast off, but it floats along on a breeze knowing it'll get to its destination in due time. We are looking forward to a full release, but if the two tracks up on his Bandcamp are an indication of things to come… we can't wait to play in this warm-weather sandbox - Mike Levine - The Deli Magazine

I get dozens of emails a day from bands I’ve never heard of that want me to post their music on this here blog.

Something pulled me in to this one from Nate Harar about his band Dalton. I can’t tell you exactly what it was – the name of the band, the personalized email that really seemed meant for me, or the list of other blogs I respect that have supported his music – but I clicked pretty much immediately and fell in love with this song “Breaker”.

I shared it with a friend who had this response: “it’s like shoegaze-meets-classic-90's indie rock with a singer who could have been a star in the 70s folk scene.”

YEAH!

This is from Dalton’s debut EP. The DC native tells me he’s been in random bands since grade school. He moved to NYC after college to pursue music and, after his last band ended, decided to start recording on his own in his apartment. He’s put together a band and they played this first gig this past week.

Listen to the full EP here. Hopefully, he’ll visit us on the West Coast soon.

RR - KCRW Music Blog

Writing about an artist that shares their pseudonym with my surname feels bizarrely narcissistic so I’ll keep this brief. Nate Harar aka Dalton appeared on my radar earlier in the year, with an EP that’s since disappeared from the internet, presumably shaping up for a larger scale release. New track What Never Should End is three and a half minutes of gritty pop-punk, barreling it’s way through anthemic to simply blissed out. Check it out below. - Crack In The Road

“Breaker” is a gritty track from Dalton, the solo project of Brooklyn’s Nate Harar, member of Sugar, It’s Eli. It’s off his self titled EP which is available to stream at bandcamp.

The 90s inspired guitar rocker has a gritty, passionate styling about it that sold me right from the get-go. Dalton serves as a reminder that indie rock won’t die as long as you take the time to search for the good stuff. You may have to find it, but in a way, it always finds you. - We All Want Someone To Shout For

This is what we want from Brooklyn. Thrashy indie rock made in small sweaty apartments; passionate, restless, yearning and full of life. Thanks then to Dalton – the solo project of Nate Harrar – who delivers all of that and more on self-titled debut three-track release. The hooks come in abundance, the affecting vocals are a howling plea to the world and the guitars shred and then placate, echoing the city they were born in and the way it can switch from madness to sadness in the blink of an eye. As well as the EP there are a further couple of sketches over on his Soundcloud page. We suggest a beer, a slowdance, a head full of memories and playing this glorious little release really fucking loud indeed. Guitar music, eh? Imagine a world without it! - GoldFlakePaint

Every so often, while sifting through hundreds – thousands since 2008 – of artist and band music submissions, we come upon a DIY artist that stands out from all of the rest.

The great thing about this series has always been that it profiles artists who are clearly talented, and are usually not widely known. Plus, as with all DIY artists, they write, record and distribute their music without the help of a label or a publicist.

This week we have chosen Dalton, the solo-project of Brooklyn singer/songwriter Nate Harar. Prior to embarking on this recent solo-project, Harar sang and played guitar with indie-rock band Sugar, It’s Eli. However, the band broke up when two of the members moved away.

Last year, Harar decided to embark on his first creative-solo project playing bass, guitar, synthesizer and drums while recording in his apartment studio. The result is his debut, self-titled EP, released via Bandcamp on July 24th.

In a year where indie rock seems to have lost some of its luster, Dalton is one new artist that is doing his part to breath new life into the genre.

Dalton’s sound is energetic, raw and exciting, boosted by a hodgepodge of genres, distorted guitars and wild-eyed, lo-fi vocals reminiscent of popular indie bands like Oberhofer.

Harar has a wide variety of musical influences, but none more than David Bowie. “David Bowie is my favorite artist just based on the quality and longevity of his career,” Harar said. “His string of albums from Aladdin Sane through Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) is unrivaled in my opinion. I really take inspiration from his ability to constantly change his sound from album to album and still put out such amazing music.”

As for his own style, Harar said, “I don’t have any barriers in my songwriting. I don’t sit around and think: ‘I’m going to write a bluesy song today’. I let the music and the song dictate how it turns out. I would get bored limiting myself to one type of musical genre.” - Indie Rock Cafe

Dalton is the scrappy and energetic indie rock of Brooklyn’s Nate Harar who seems determined to convince us that indie rock isn’t dead just yet, whether by the shadow of electronic/hip-hop or its bastardization by bands like Young The F*&king Giant and Foster The F*&king People. If “Breaker,” the opening track to Dalton’s eponymous EP, is any indication, Harar aims to bring good old fashioned Indie Rock back to the stone(d) age with a slight 90's alt-rock twist:

I’m not too picky when it comes to indie rock, at least not intentionally picky. Give me a good hook, impassioned singing and bright, plucky guitar lines, maybe a touch of better-than-Ringo drumming and I’ll tune in. But what really gets me with Dalton is how effortless it all seems which makes it all that effortless to listen to. - I Guess I'm Floating

Nate Harar is the singular force behind Brooklyn band Dalton. What he created is low-fi pop at its best. Here is my interview with Nate concerning his inspirations, how it feels to be the only musician in the band, and the story behind his self-titled EP cover.

Dalton is a solo project where one person plays all the instruments, correct?

Yeah, I played everything on the EP.

What inspired you to create a band? Do you mind being the only contributing member? What are the perks of working alone vs. with other musicians? Is it possible you'll work with other musicians in the future?

I've been in bands all my life, since the 6 th grade. It's what I've always wanted to do. When my last band (Sugar, It's Eli) ended, I took some time off but still wanted to make music. Since I didn't really have anyone else to play with, I just started recording some songs in my apartment by myself. I started sending a couple of the demos around to some music blogs and got a good response, so I decided to take what I felt were the best ones and put them out as my debut EP.

So the whole "solo artist" thing was more a necessity than a real decision on my behalf. I wanted to make music but didn't have a band so I had to do it alone. I definitely want to play with other people and love being in a band. I'm actually rehearsing with a couple guys right now, trying to put together a live show. As nice as it is to have the creative control when writing and recording a song, you still miss the camaraderie and creative collaboration of playing with a bunch of guys, in a room, trying to make it work. So I guess I'm just going about it backwards. I made an album and am now trying to start a band.

Who/what are your inspirations, both musically and non-musically?

I have a ton of musical inspirations, but if I had to break it down to the bare essentials they would probably be David Bowie, Nirvana and Blur. Those three artists really have stuck with me the most. Nirvana was the first band I was ever obsessed with. It's all I would listen to through grade school. And David Bowie is king for me. The way each album has a totally different feel and sound but still remains to sound like David Bowie is incredible. And as someone who doesn't want to limit myself to one genre, his career is like a blueprint for me.

There are also other bands like Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel and Arcade Fire that I'm really into. Gomez has been one of my favorite bands for a long time. I just love how eclectic their music is.

I like to think I have all these musical influences stored in the back of my mind. And it can be from a band I love to a random song I heard on the radio. I feel everything you hear sticks to you and goes into your unconscious. And when I write I feel like every song that I've heard has a little say in what the music sounds like. And so all of these bands and songs that I love come out in my songwriting.

Can you describe your song-writing process?

Songwriting for me is not really a process. I wish I could just sit down and say "I'm going to write a song today" and hammer something out. Whenever I try to do that it never happens and I end up just getting frustrated. It's much more random than that. I pretty much just mess around on guitar and hope to stumble upon something, like a riff or a chord change that sounds interesting. When that happens you just try to flesh out the idea and play what you naturally think would come next.

I've also found that the best songs are the ones written in 10 minutes or less. Those are the ones that come out of you and sound so natural that you think, "I hope nobody's written this before". Usually if you're struggling with a song for a long time, it's not worth it.

What's the story behind your EP cover?

The cover is actually of me in around 1991 posing for my first team soccer photo. I found the picture randomly while cleaning out my room so I scanned it to put on my computer, but for some reason it scanned incorrectly and cut off the top of my face just below my eyes. I thought it looked pretty creepy and cool, so I decided to use it as my EP cover

I love the track "Breaker" on your self-titled EP. What inspired you to write that song?

When I started to write that song all I had was that opening guitar riff but I didn't have anything else. So whenever I would play guitar I would mess around with that riff and play it over and over again but could come up with nothing. But I knew the riff was pretty catchy and I didn't want to just ditch the whole song altogether, so I decided to record the riff over and over again and come up with the rest of the song as I was recording. I'm really impatient like that when it comes to songs. When I think I have a good idea I want to record the song immediately and finish it as fast as possible.

What is the track you're most proud of so far?

I wrote the song "Shut Up and Listen" way back in high school and that seems to be the song - Yahoo!

There’s not one note of ‘Breaker’ by Dalton that sounds like it was made for anything but a hot summer day. Those handclaps to start things out? Summer. That lazy, hazy guitar line throughout? Summer. The half-time breakdown at the midpoint? Summer. All the layered vocals at the end? Summer. It’s a summer jam, first note to last.

Dalton released their debut EP just a few days ago. Enjoy.
- songsfortheday

Dalton is the nom de plume of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Nate Harar, who has decided to take a little break from his other two projects (Sugar, It’s Eli and Swetpanther) to try his hand at indie-rawk auteur.

Woodshedding in his apartment/studio, Harar played all instruments on his debut self-titled EP. Harar finds our young hero playing in a the sandbox frequented by the likes of David Bowie and Peter Gabriel, and MOKB is happy to premiere lead single, Shut Up and Listen. A thinly-veiled message to inattentive audiences? Perhaps, but it’s also a fine number, which just so happens to remind these grizzled ears of an updated take on Ziggy Stardust coda, Rock and Roll Suicide. Certainly not a bad place to start one’s career. - My Old Kentucky Blog

Influenced by Talking Heads, David Bowie, Pixies and Peter Gabriel, Brooklyn solo artist, Nate Harar. He recorded the album in his apartment-studio, playing bass, guitar, synthesizer and drums. The outcome was this EP of low-fi pop songs. With standout tracks such as Shut Up And Listen and Animal, Harar shows his ability to perfectly blend his aforementioned influences. Fusing alt, pop and indie rock this EP showcases a defining sound that proves to be fresh and solid. Dalton is a very unique project and I am looking forward to seeing the direction its headed. - The Sour Mash Blog

This morning, I was reading The Sour Mash, and well, I fell in love, immediately with Dalton. Truly professing a free-verse dictatorship within the lead vocal lines, the introductory EP might open with a wonderfully remixed dance track, but dig deeper and feel the frantic stuttering and puttering that is the backbone of Dalton’s anxiety. Unafraid to rock, the groups strength lies in their ability to traverse the dirty garage scene and transcend into a more brutalist form. The band, profoundly, merges genres while staying completely composed. - Dingus

We’ve got a remix of the excellent opening track of Brooklyn act Dalton’s new self-titled EP for you. The song’s called Animal and the EP is out now over on Bandcamp.
- Bowlegs Music

Most of the one-person bedroom musical projects we’ve heard lately have titled toward electro (or glow-pop or chillwave or whatever), but Dalton has more of a pop and rock ‘n’ roll sensibility on “Breaker,” the free song from a self-titled debut EP.

No surprise there: Dalton mastermind Nate Harar also plays in the indie-rock band Sugar, It’s Eli (and in the electro-funk outfit Swetpanther). Dalton is his first solo project, and he recorded guitar, bass, synthesizers and drums in his Brooklyn apartment on songs influenced by the Pixies, Davie Bowie and Talking Heads.

It’s a catchy combination on “Breaker,” a melodic tune with chiming guitar and tousled vocals over a powerful rhythm part. - Listen, Dammit

Dalton is the solo project of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Nate Harar. His self-titled debut EP is inspired by an eclectic array of sounds spanning several decades.

Listen to 'Breaker' here

Harar launched his one-man venture in the spring of 2011 playing bass, guitar, synthesizer and drums while recording in his apartment-studio. He soon emerged with a unique brand of low-fi pop songs influenced by bands like Talking Heads, David Bowie, Pixies and Peter Gabriel.

Prior to embarking on this recent project, Harar sang and played guitar with indie-rock band Sugar, It’s Eli and co-founded the electronic funk band Swetpanther.

To date, Harar's music has been featured in advertising campaigns for Dell Inc., Lockerz.com and Bud Light Platinum products. - AltSounds

Dalton is the Brooklyn-based solo project of Nate Harar. For the past year he's been slowly posting his heartfelt brand of garage-pop. Yesterday that culminated in the release of his debut EP, titled EP. The drum machines don't stand out too much over the song structures, and Harar doesn't bothering burying his sound under a thick blanket of fuzzed out haze. He opts for a much warmer distortion that manages to add a sense of wild Summer freedom to the tracks. I 'm very much looking forward to a focused full release from Dalton. - Decoder Magazine