Nathan Shaffer was born in Indiana and decided upon a career in music when he first saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. By the time he reached high school age he had moved to Chicago and was playing in cover bands. In his twenties he settled on the west coast and formed Rock Royale. The band had high hopes as they landed a recording contract but were dropped by their label before finishing the album. Shaffer then retired from the music industry at the age of 30.
While attending a Paul McCartney concert 25 years later, he had the urge to return to the music industry. That urge resulted in the creation and release of Come Back America.
A lot of years, thought, and sorrow went into the creation of this album. It is dedicated to his son Jeff, 1973-2009, which adds a very personal element to the lyrics and music. The proceeds from the album will be used to set up a foundation in his son’s name to help teens overcome substance abuse. The songs dedicated to his son also provide a counterpoint to his sometimes harsh and pithy political excursions.
His music is close to a rock sound. His use of orchestration veers some of his songs away from rock ‘n’ roll a bit toward a lighter approach, which works well given the serious nature of some of the lyrics. It is an album of old and new as he resurrected some songs he wrote decades ago, which combine with some newer compositions. He is an able pianist and guitarist, but it is his talent as a lyricist and the ability to craft an album that are his best attributes.
“My Little Friend (Jeff’s Song)” was written back in 1982 and is finally brought to life with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. “Prince Of The Oaks” is a study in grief as a simple piano allows his emotional vocal to interpret his words of sorrow.
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