NateWantsToBattle brainchild of YouTube sensation, singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and voice actor Nathan Sharp is excited to share his new video forSmoke And Guns off his latest full-length album Paid In Exposure today. Fans can watch now, here: https://youtu.be/aiU-SRZz124. Just yesterday, Sharp partnered with AXS to unveil the video one day early along with an exclusive interview discussing his other projects including Ghost Fight and Give Heart Records.
With 1.3 million subscribers and over 500 million views on his YouTube channel alone as well as over 10 million plays on his most streamed track on Spotify, its no surprise Sharp teamed up with Billboard to unveil all 10 tracks off Paid In Exposure one day in advance and went on to be the top trending story of the day. Read the article, here: bit.ly/BB-NWTB. Additionally, the EP peaked at #3 on the iTunes Alternative Chart and #16 Overall Chart on release day and #11 on Billboards Heatseekers Albums Chart and #33 on Billboards Independent Album Charts. Paid In Exposure serves as a follow up to the positively received album Sandcastle Kingdoms which dropped last year and charted #1 on both the iTunes Alternative Albums and Billboards Heatseekers Chart.
When asked about Paid In Exposure, Sharp said: Paid In Exposure was written over the course of a year where some major life changes and outlooks took place in my life. There were some major events that all happened so fast-paced and back to back and this album, lyrically, is the narrative of that roller coaster. Creatively, it has more character and more illustration than anything Ive worked on before. Sonically speaking, I wanted every song to be different, but still belong on the same album.
NateWantsToBattle will also embark on his Paid In Exposure Tour with Zach Callison (singer and Steven Universe voice actor) throughout August. Dates can be found below and tickets are available for purchase, here: https://www.natewantstobattle.
- August 17 – Rocketown – Nashville, TN
- August 18 – The Loving Touch – Ferndale, MI
- August 19 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
- August 20 – The Garage – Burnsville, MN
- August 22 – Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO
- August 24 – The Vera Project – Seattle, WA
- August 25 – Hawthorne Heights – Portland, OR
*More Dates TBA
Though he is known for his wide array of covers from Ed Sheeran to Fall Out Boy to Adele on his channel, Sharp has built a dedicated army of fans eager to hear more and has shifted gears towards releasing original content. Sharp is also the voice of Craig Kahn in the #1 best seller video game Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator. He also has an official relationship doing music for the game Five Nights At Freddy’s.
NateWantsToBattle may have been born of Virginia-native Nathan Sharps gaming obsession, but the name has since become synonymous with the joyful consumption of a wide range of media – gaming, anime and, most of all, music. A singer, pianist, guitarist and prolific songwriter, Sharp has written hundreds compositions and renditions that range from parodies of popular hits to English renditions of anime openings to music about video games to his very own rock originals.
Being a performer was something that Sharp wanted to pursue since childhood. Performing in front of people who youve never met before that are shouting lyrics you wrote always seemed like such an awesome experience, he said of the inspiration he got from seeing childhood heroes Green Day and Sum 41 live. This combined with his love for anime and video games led him to an unexpected place that would lay the groundwork for his career.
Though technology is his milieu, he values the human connection that touring with his band brings. Nice comments and messages are always appreciated. But Im someone who has trouble visualizing and being able to put weight to text and a username. Interacting with fans in person has such a heavier and more meaningful impact on me. They share their stories and I share mine. It’s a bonding experience and the way all human interaction should be, he enthuses.
The balance of his longtime love for bands like Panic! At The Disco, My Chemical Romance, and Fall Out Boy with his newer interest in bands like Pierce The Veil and Hands Like Houses is what inspired his original creations. This alchemy led to Sharps last album Sandcastle Kingdoms which came out in March 2017 and his newly released album Paid In Exposure which dropped in June 2018.