Nathan is impossible

Nathan Hartono gave no hints of his touchdown from Jakarta merely three hours ago – his vocal display was dynamic, strong and pitch perfect.

As part of the *SCAPE Invasion Tour, Nathan clearly enjoyed mesmerising students of Singapore Polytechnic with his new songs ‘Nothing Yet’, ‘Waves’, and fan-favourite ‘Thinking About Love’. He even added a cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Style’ during his 45-minute long performance.

Nathan has been busy since he embarked on a sabbatical from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. As part of SG50, the big-hearted singer raised funds for Very Special Arts (VSA) Singapore, a charity that provides people with disabilities the opportunities to access the arts for rehabilitation and social integration, through 50 for 50.

“This charity was something different that I’d been involved in,” shared Nathan. “I’ve learnt how to have a deeper connection with music from them; it’s very different from how we approach the arts. They’re jumping into it with all of their heart and emotions.”

On Jun 8 this year, Nathan also teamed up with photographer Jon Cancio to roll out their first episode of the Good Hang podcast. With new episodes uploaded every Wednesday, the duo touch on “pop culture, movies, TV, comic books, and other nerdy fandom”, as mentioned on their Facebook page.

“It’s one of those things that I’ve been itching to do it for a very long time,” said Nathan. “I’ve been listening to podcasts for five to six years, and find it to be a very engaging medium.”

“We decided to try something more pop-culture related,” he added. “It’s definitely exciting to be in a new medium, to be trying out something new.”

When asked if a career as a radio DJ might be ahead for him, Nathan acknowledged that podcasts are “very different, as they are long-form talk sets”.

Nathan will also star in HBO Asia’s upcoming television series Halfworlds, directed by renowned Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar. While Nathan has taken part in theatre productions, such as Pangdemonium’s Spring Awakening back in 2012, landing a role in a television series is something new for him.

“I’ve never done TV before, but when this opportunity came up, it was like why-the-hell-not?” shared Nathan.

While filming for Halfworlds wrapped up a week prior to our interview, do not be surprised to catch Nathan in future TV shows. “Filming this show had been really fun, and a huge learning experience,” said Nathan. He continued, “the door for acting is definitely open.”

For those who are eagerly anticipating Nathan’s next music-related project, you will be thrilled over his upcoming collaboration with Singapore Idol contestant Daphne Khoo. He commented: “It’s been a bit tough, as I just got back from Jakarta three hours ago; we haven’t had time to sit down and record. But we have the song, and the bones of the song are there.”

Nathan Hartono is clearly not just a music prodigy who made a defining statement in the local music scene a decade ago, when he won the 2005 Teenage Icon singing competition. While he has not set a specific date to return to school, he is certain that he will head back “eventually”.

Catch the Good Hang podcasts by Nathan & Jon here, with new episodes every Wednesday!