Nathan Smith is a renowned South African musician and songwriter. He grew up in a musical family – both his parents were music teachers. Music came naturally to him and, at the age of eleven, his father taught him how to play the guitar. Three short months later, Nathan played his first concert for his school. He started writing music at age thirteen, after which he started performing his original works in various venues and on national television.

When Nathan was 15, he formed the band Dead Sea Surfers with his older brother, Paddy, and Andrew Coleman. The band’s name was meant as a joke but, after winning a battle of the band’s competition, they decided to keep it. Dead Sea Surfers went on to perform at multiple venues and festivals, including OppiKoppi, TuksFM Rag, Splash, etc. alongside South Africa’s biggest rock bands. The band recorded two albums, Eating the Humor and Well Sprung, before going their separate ways. This prompted Nathan to start his solo career.

A renowned and experienced guitarist, Nathan has performed original as well as collaborative works across South Africa and abroad. Highlights of the former include original compositions for various Soccer World Cup events in 2010, as well as for Joseph Clark – The Music of Queen, which toured locally and throughout Europe. The show sold out a stadium for 35 000 in Holland in 2012.

While celebrated for his session work, original work has always been at the core of Nathan’s love for music, with 2006 seeing the launch of his solo album Songs from a Diary. In 2009 he released an experimental album with Mark Heydenrych, Paddy Smith and Kyle Rutten called The Nathan Smith Project – The Sum of All Things. His third album Here’s to the Now, was released in July.

The title track, Here’s To The Now, is about being so distracted by what we need to do or still want to achieve, or a situation, that we totally miss the good we have in our lives at the very moment. “In my case, it was missing great moments with my wife, Jackie. Being there, but not present, not enjoying, or missing the opportunity of the small things in life, which are actually, in fact, the big things in life and saying sorry about that and that I will live one day at a time, so Here’s To The Now!”, says Nathan.

I am excited to have 2 CD’s to give away to 2 lucky readers to enjoy Nathan’s chilled and funky 12 track album – all you have to do to enter is comment below and let me know the name of one of the previous albums that Nathan has also released and it could be you!

The competition closes on Monday 5th October and the winners will be contacted via email. T&C’s apply.