Photo Credit: Nate Kest
Without breath, there is no life, and 23-year-old Detroit native, Nate Kest, knows this all too well. His upbringing in a ‘yoga family’ where Buddhist practices were always central has led the young artist to incorporate mindfulness, and breath, into every aspect of his life and his work.
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Nate acknowledges that he couldn’t do it alone, attributing a large part of his success not only to his family but to those who keep him grounded, and work alongside him to produce great music and visuals. He works with multi-platinum producer “NEDO”, his cameraman, OOOOOOOOCILATE, the new Parisian artist, Lestin, his creative director, CreaTyler, and his manager, Josh Bru of Bruu Management.
The artist’s latest project, “Breathe, Or Die,” is, to Nate, pretty much as it reads. He highlights again that without breath, there is no life. He wants to bring light to this small but powerful acknowledgment through his newest EP, with a title that directly reflects the sentiment.
The EP’s title was inspired in part by the 1800’s political cartoon and its coinciding phrase, coined by Benjamin Franklin, “Join, Or Die.” The idea of this wording was to unite people against a common enemy of that time, and Nate is constantly working to connect with people on a personal and spiritual level through his music.
Catchy title aside, the project is being produced by both Midi Jones and Martin Estrada, two more multi-platinum producers that Nate Kest is trusting to see this project to completion.
To Nate, the people you surround yourself with, both personally and professionally, have some of the biggest impacts on who you become. He says, “Some wisdom I have to share is to watch who’s around you,” because trusting people to share in a vision is a big responsibility.
This idea of coming back to the breath not only relates to being centered in life but the ability to be less reactionary. Part of what makes Nate such a good collaborator is that when there is conflict, and the fight is not worth fighting, he returns to his breath to avoid quick reactions.
One of Nate’s biggest life lessons is to breathe or die, and he wants to share this idea that breath is a powerful tool that can help you to shift your interactions, your mindset, and your reactionary side.
This way of approaching life has proved to be successful, helping Nate Kest get to where he is today.
Along with selling out shows at a popular Los Angeles venue, The Peppermint Club, Nate is currently producing, starring in, and creating the soundtrack for his upcoming film, P.C.A.
Nate Kest’s journey into the music industry in LA wasn’t always easy, but he’s proved his dedication time and time again. To find his own unique voice, Nate spent the last 6 years writing 3 songs a day, penning down over 4,000 songs that have helped shape his music into what we now know and love.
This consistency is not easy to master, and there were days when Nate felt unmotivated. It is his self-discipline, the support coming from around him, and his ability to come to his breath that helps him to persevere on days like those.
Nate knows that his spiritual and yoga-centered upbringing was the catalyst for his latest project to come to life and that without his breath, his own life would not be the same. He continues to evolve and develop his art but always centers himself at the end of the day.