Nate Kinsella goes by the name Birthmark on this excellent “solo” project.

Nate and I go waaaaay back to a magnet-style Arts High School in Minnesota in the late, LATE 1900's, where, as bumbling, self-conscious teenagers, we were encouraged to collaborate with each other.

This image I'm sharing with this post is of a school recital with Nate on bass, Crystal Thomas on vocals, Eli Stone on drums, and a random boy on guitar. Oh ...wait, that's me. Anyway!

Nate has always seemed to have an easy and playful attitude which spills unhindered through his talent and creative compositions. I recall that, as teens, we had very aligned musical ideals, and as we've both continued our musical paths post graduation, I feel like I can still hear the sonic influences of our upbringing in the Midwest, which at the time was somewhat Math/Emo/Punk centric. (He’s also played with the bands Joan of Arc, Make Believe and American Football which are sometimes tagged as emo projects.)

His new Birthmark album—Birth of Omni—is a sober look at a somber-seeming moment in his life, a humbling unmasking of the darker thoughts I'm sure we've all faced in one way or another. It's worth taking the album for a walk in the park. Check it out! The whole album is here —> birthmark.ffm.to/birth-of-omni
Stream it, get it on Bandcamp, order it on vinyl, all the things…

When I recorded this cover of Joan Armatrading's “Baby Woncha Come On Home” with him, I actually didn't realize it would be on this album, I thought it was just a one-off cover collab that would be mixed into a bunch of covers...? So it was a huge, delightful surprise to hear it in the line-up of this album, and it makes so much sense within the context of that larger overview. I was joking with Nate at his album release party that he HAS to tour this, and if so, I HAVE to be one of his musicians, and I HAVE to dress up as an 80's mom. Why? I don't know. Sounded appropriate?

I feel so lucky that Nate and I have kept in touch over the years, and I'm so grateful that he invited me on his creative journey! This album is chock full of talented musicians including Starr Busby, Greg Fox, Jeff Tobias, Craig Wedren, Paul Wiancko, Marilu Donovan & Chris McQueen among many others.

Xoxo,
Arone

p.s. More places to follow Nate

natekinsella.com
instagram.com/nate_kinsella
birthmarkmusic.substack.com