In today’s A-Z challenge, we wanted to find out more about Shaman’s Harvest ahead of their first UK tour.
The band’s Nathan Hunt and Josh Hamler took on our 26 questions to tell us more!
A song that made you want to make music?
Nate: I rediscovered Led Zeppelin around 13 and I remember spinning The Immigrant Song over and over reimagining different parts. Some first forays into arrangement.
Josh: Honestly growing up in the shadow of my uncle Beeb Birtles, founding guitarist of the Little River Band, their song It’s a Long Way There has been part of my soundtrack for my entire life. From Jimi Hendrix to Joe Walsh to SRV, all influences of mine, but it all began with uncle Beeb and his mates in LRB.
Best rider you have had?
Nate: Anytime the venue can throw in some local brews and sandwich fixins we’re tickled.
Josh: In the early years, it was all the booze, cigarettes, and green m&m’s we could handle.
Craziest moment in the band?
Nate: I remember getting on Chad Kroeger‘s plane heading to the next city in the tour and he had bought out an entire floor of a hotel and proceeded to order everything they had in the liquor department downstairs. After a few hours and the sun well up, he invited the maintenance man and the room service workers up for drinks. I being without my bus and all of my comforts tried to hide and pass out in one of the 100 extra rooms unsuccessfully. The hotel got wind of their employees partying with their guest and fired them on the spot. Chad didnt leave that hotel until they were all hired back and taken care of. Absolute legend.
Josh: The craziest thing for me is that we’re still doing this thing 27 years later.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
Nate: Man that’s really in the ear of the beholder. I think what makes a lyric deep is really in the interpretation more than from pen to paper.
Josh: Overall, our song Wildfire from the Rebelator album hits pretty deep and the hook just smacks ya. Big fan of that tune.
Easiest song you wrote?
Nate: Any time we’re not trying to write for a specific sound or purpose. When it’s just about melody and the mood of it.
Josh: It took us maybe 30 minutes to write Dragonfly. It was almost effortless in fact. A gift from the rock gods I suppose.
Favourite song in your set?
Nate: Whatever is the most recently written. Although it’s hard to beat when the crowd wants to sing along to the older tunes.
Josh: Love performing Blood In The Water live. It has all the southern swampy rock attitude you can handle and it really sets the tone. It never gets old.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
Nate: Any time you can bend genres. So like a pop artist or something heavier or whatever. Been listening to Zeal & Ardor lately. I think working with Manuel Gagneux would make for something really interesting.
Josh: We’d love a Jelly Roll collaboration. He’s a fan of ours and we’re fans of his. I think it could work.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
Nate: Like creating any business with partners. The toughest part is navigating the direction of the art.
Josh: Probably remembering why we do it. The minute you start playing music for any other reason than your love for it, you’ll lose it.
Interesting fact about one of your members?
Nate: Josh is the eyelid flip champion of the Northern Hemisphere chapter.
Josh: Our drummer Adam Zemanek is a former X Games competitor. He competed in freestyle snowboarding in 2004.
Jokes you have in the band?
Nate: What kind of birth control does a bass player use? Their personality.
Key to writing a song?
Nate: Don’t let the drummer do it.
Josh: I don’t write in formula. Every song gets its own process. It keeps the artist side me ever evolving
Longest distance you’ve traveled to play a show?
Nate: We traveled a couple thousand miles in a box truck and van to do a show at a venue that wasn’t even there anymore. Had turned into a coffee shop and nobody told us. The owners were kind enough to let us play even though we were too loud and drove all their customers away.
Josh: 8 of us in a van and trailer drove 1,976 miles (30 hours) from Jefferson City, Missouri to Eugene, Oregon for a radio promotion. When we rolled in, the venue said the show had canceled because the radio station closed shop a week prior… News to us… We didn’t travel all that way for nothing so we set the stage and rocked that MF’r.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Nate: Don’t know that he’s the most inspiring musician experienced but I recently saw Bob Dylan play in a small club here in Nashville. You had to turn your phone in at the door so everyone there had to just be there for the performance. He played piano with a trio and he had such a rock n’ roll spirit. Genuine article.
Josh: Outside of my uncle Beeb, I’d have to say Nathan Hunt. We’ve been chasing this dream over half of our lives. Every milestone or obstacle we’ve met, we’ve experienced it together. All these years later and still rockin strong. Proud of our fortitude.
New band you’d recommend?
Josh: Rad new group from Missouri, Hang Your Hate. Watch out for this talented young band. They’re on the come up.
Opening for this band would be ideal?
Josh: Doing some shows with Gary Clark Jr would be rad.
Place you’d most like to tour?
Nate: Always wondered how our show would translate in Japan.
Josh: We’d really like to bring the show to the rest of the world. We’re headed to the UK/Ireland in March of 2025 for the About Time Tour with BlackTopMojo and hope to continue on to Europe later that year.
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
Nate: “I’m sick of following my dreams, man. I’m just gonna ask where they’re going and hook up with ’em later” -Mitch Hedberg
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
Nate: I was singing John the Revelator in a dumb accent and mispronouncing it. I think maybe someone spoke up and said what about Rebelator.
See us live at?
Mar 5 – Fleece, Bristol – TICKETS
March 6 – The 1865, Southampton – TICKETS
March 7 – O2 Islington Academy, London – TICKETS
March 8 – O2 Institute 2, Birmingham – TICKETS
March 12 – Rebellion, Manchester – TICKETS
March 13 – Cathouse, Glasgow – TICKETS
March 14 – Anarchy Brew, Newcastle – TICKETS
March 15 – Corporation, Sheffield – TICKETS
March 19 – Limelight 2, Belfast – TICKETS
March 20 – The Academy, Dublin – TICKETS
March 21 – Cyprus Avenue, Cork – TICKETS
March 22 – Sin City, Swansea – TICKETS
March 26 – The Tivoli, Buckley – TICKETS
March 27 – Hairy Dog, Derby – TICKETS
March 28 – The Waterfront, Norwich – TICKETS
March 29 – The Arch, Brighton – TICKETS
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
Nate: For sure. Nobody knew what they were doing. They just did. Now everyone “Knows” the way and it makes for some sterile shit.
Josh: Music like life is ever evolving. The wheel never rolls backwards. There’s no stopping change. It’s just part of it. The ebb and the flow.
Unusual merchandise?
Nate: In this economy?! We keep it pretty simple. Shirts and tunes. Who has money for unusual?!
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
Nate: Would like to do any one of our albums with a big band motown twist. Front to back.
What do your fans mean to you?
Nate: They are the purpose right? When radio wasn’t gonna play us, fans were relentless in calling in and requesting till stations would finaly give in. without stuff like that along the way we wouldn’t have this privilege now.
Josh: Our fans are incredible. Simply put… We have the best fans in the land.
X-rays or any other treatments needed for band injuries?
Nate: Plenty of times when we should have gotten x-rayed. I think if someone actually went to the hospital the other members would never let them live it down.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
Nate: The drummer. That guy will take a 2 hour shower. HE DOESN”T HAVE ANY HAIR!! What is going on in there?
Josh: Nate stuck in a Uber, in rush hour traffic, trying to get back to the venue from his pre show workout haha.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
Nate: Chupacabra.