Today, multi-instrumentalist Nate Mercereau, who is currently on André 3000’s New Blue Sun tour, announced his new album Excellent Traveler, out October 11 on Third Man Records. The imaginative record is composed of a vast array of sounds recorded by Mercereau during his travels, day-to-day life, and studio sessions with artists like André 3000, Shabaka Hutchings, Kamasi Washington, Carlos Niño, and more. As a creative artist at the forefront of modern sonic expression, Mercereau uses guitar-controlled samples and synthesizers to create immersive, multidimensional landscapes, inviting listeners to explore infinite palaces of possibility. Pre-order Excellent Traveler [here].
Alongside the announcement is the release of the lead single, “Sound Within Sound,” which was one of the first pieces to come together for Excellent Traveler. Mercereau sampled André 3000’s flute and Carlos Niño’s drums during a 2022 session in LA.
Listen to “Sound Within Sound” here.
“The title ‘Sound Within Sound’ relates to how I think about some of this music—the music created with other music—as worlds within worlds and worlds beyond... expanded into possible realities. The main flute and drum sample is a moment of André 3000 and Carlos Niño when they first picked up their instruments to make sound and get levels (during a 2022 session in Hollywood). I later played it with my guitar in my home studio in Tujunga,” shares Nate Mercereau. “I felt there was more to explore with this motif they were playing, so I zoomed in on it and created more with it. I'm grateful to both of them for being supportive of me making more music with our music. In my setup, I have a microphone connected to a sampler, which is controlled by the guitar. When the group is playing something I want to play, I can record what's happening in the room, drop it into the sampler, and play the sound of the group with the guitar. It maps to the fretboard, so I can play it at any pitch and speed. With this approach, anything can become an instrument. All possible realities are available. ‘Sound Within Sound’ is a version of a possible reality—reality expanded. I'm currently on tour in Europe with André and Carlos (and Deantoni and Surya), so it feels great to introduce this new album with a piece of music featuring two of my traveling creative brothers.”
Excellent Traveler is Mercereau’s version of a solo guitar album, following the release of his critically acclaimed records Joy Techniques and SUNDAYS. As penned in the album notes by Carlos Niño, this exquisite album of spontaneous solo composition, nuanced improvisation, and exploratory world creation features living legends Laraaji, Luis Pérez Ixoneztli, Idris Ackamoor, André 3000, and frequent collaborators Carlos Niño and Surya Botofasina. Mercereau’s three-year-old daughter, Juniper, is also featured on the album. Kamasi Washington, Shabaka Hutchings, Cavana Lee, V.C.R., Anaiah Rasheed Muhammad, Dwight Trible, Andres Renteria, and Aaron Shaw all intersect in Mercereau's psychedelic quests and adventures as well.
"I feel like I, and we, contain the vastness of all infinite potential, and in that potential, my imagination and feelings about it go beyond words, and it's all in the music!" Mercereau continues. "My greatest inspirations in life and music come from feeling a sense of infinite possibility because I believe that’s what is available in life on planet Earth and beyond. I focus on opening myself up to this freedom as much as I can, and it’s something I maintain awareness of and cultivate in all aspects of my life and creativity. Freedom is very important; I offer it to myself and to others around me. I feel very alive and tuned in when experiencing, hearing, seeing, and doing things that remind me that anything can happen.”
Known for his writing and production credits on records by household names such as Jay-Z, John Legend, and Leon Bridges, Nate Mercereau is currently buzzing for his contributions to André 3000’s album New Blue Sun. At the vanguard of electroacoustic compositions, he seized the opportunity to record duets with the Golden Gate Bridge in 2021 after reading an article on San Francisco residents complaining about the landmark’s eerie hum—see NPR piece here.
TOUR DATES (New Blue Sun Fall Tour with André 3000)
August 30 - September 1 - Blue Note Jazz Festival - Napa Valley, CA
September 3-5 - Henry Miller Memorial Library - Big Sur, CA
September 19 - Orpheum Theater - New Orleans, LA
September 21 - Winspear Opera House - Dallas, TX
September 22 - Austin City Limits Live - Moody Theater - Austin, TX
October 1 - Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay - San Diego, CA
October 2 - The Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
October 4 - Arlington Theatre - Santa Barbara, CA
October 5 - Fox Theater - Oakland, CA
October 14 - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall - Portland, OR
October 21 - The Salt Shed - Chicago, IL
October 22 - Masonic Cathedral Theatre - Detroit, MI
October 25 - BAM Howard Gilman Opera House - Brooklyn, NY
November 12 - Wang Theatre at Boch Center - Boston, MA
November 14 - Fox Theatre - Atlanta, GA
