A gifted Red Deer musician continues to carve out his own musically-creative niche in Central Alberta.

Nathan Danser has long had a fascination with music, and the talented performer is currently in the midst of his Green Mile Tour that is also featuring special guests.

The tour consists of dates here in Red Deer and the surrounding area, plus several shows up in Thorsby at what is called the ‘Green Mile Market’.

Next up he’s performing at the Nickle Studio June 16th in tandem with the Central Alberta Theatre’s current production of The Sign of Four.

He heads up to Thorsby on July 7th for a show at the Green Mile Market, then he’s back in Red Deer on July 20th for a performance at the Forgotten Alley among other dates.

Additional shows and more information can be found on his facebook page or by visiting www.nathandanser.com.

Meanwhile, Danser has been steadily growing not only in his solid and compelling skills as a musician and songwriter, but also as a significant and respected performer on the local circuit.

“It was probably around the age of 12 or 13 that (it started). I think it was at a particular rock concert where I thought, oh my gosh, I want to do that,” he explained with a laugh. “Since then, it’s been my thing.”

Around that time, he was also taking guitar lessons for a while and learning to find his own style and sensibilities as an artist and a musician.

His awareness of being able to belt out the tunes surfaced as well during those years.

“I always really wanted to do that – to be the frontman of a band,” he explained, adding that in high school he started up a band with some friends.

During his earlier years, he also took part in drama and performed in choirs, so those experiences also gave him the added confidence for being centre stage.

As to penning songs, he explains that his approach to the craft is always changing.

“I’m always trying to approach it from a different angle,” he said. “The most natural way for me is that I will get a line in my head and think how to turn that into a melody, figure out the rhythm and work some chords into it.

“It’s kind of an idea that grows – and I’ll try out different things.”

He also isn’t the least bit wary of tapping into an array of genres to see what best fits a particular song.

“Lately it’s been more hip hop stuff – the production of that is really fascinating to me,” he said.

It’s also been that sense of exploration that has helped him find his own true voice. “What little bits of all of those things is my identity?”

Meanwhile, Danser has been described as a genre-bending songwriter, “With a wide spectrum of sounds ranging from upbeat catchy pop songs to intimate folk music. His ability to produce meaningful music within various styles targets a large audience, with many songs that can be enjoyed by all,” notes his web site.

He’s also been busy on the recording front.

His releases include My Only Crime, an EP released in 2015; The Tractor Beam EP released in 2016; Low, an EP released in 2017, followed by the full length album Get Well Soon released in 2017.

All the tunes have been written, performed and produced by Danser as well. And speaking of producing, Danser particularly enjoys the intricacies of laying down his own tracks. That sense of melding the role of artist and producer is appealing to him. ”To me that’s the route I’m working towards.”

As to the Green Mile Tour, he’s enjoying every minute of it.

“I had a ton of other shows booked around the Thorsby market dates, so I thought, let’s call this a tour,” he said with a laugh. For Danser, it also speaks to the overall sense of fulfillment and joy that springs from his chosen path in life.

“For me, I just love it so much – especially when I hear new music that kind of blows my mind – that drives me more than anything; stuff that really inspires me.”