Nick x Nati’s “Broken March” is Soul-Stirring Indie Folk (premiere)

Nicholas Horner has worn many hats. Before moving to Knoxville in recent years, he was a prolific part of the New York scene. Known for his work with Porch Stomp and Flatfoot Flatbrush just as well as he is for music made as a part of the Nick Horner Family, Nick & Luke, and umpteen other projects. The same could be said for Nathan Blankett’s portfolio. A highly-regarded composer, drummer, and producer, “Nati” has worked with the likes of Ehud Ettun, Julia Bilat, and Yonit Spiegelman, among others.

Now, Horner and Blankett are collaborating together on a broad-ranging musical project. Aptly named Nick x Nati, the duo’s debut single is “Broken March”. Premiering across all platforms today, the tune is a meshing of each artists’ paths traversed so far. Its primary melodies pull amply from folk influences, with piercing ethereal synth calling back to Nick x Nati’s combined experience in electronic production. It’s pervasive, captivating, and mysterious, and it’s met by a music video that also fits all three descriptors. It features Horner traversing a lake environment, soul-searching.

For Nick x Nati, this collaboration has been a long time coming, with the duo returning to songs they had written together a while back, pre-pandemic. Some years ago, Horner and Blankett were cutting their teeth in the same Northeastern neighborhoods, where they had hit it off before the latter returned to Israel. Future work from Nick x Nati will travel further into each artists’ individual and collective influences, developing something truly eclectic. Fans of their sound can look forward to future releases from the duo before long. They are due to release more music this summer and fall.

“Broken March” is out now, both for purchase and streaming.