New Jersey Stage November 2014 | Page 11

records by U2 and The Waterboys — two artists that Nile admires greatly. “I grew up in an Irish Catholic family, so I grew up with a lot of the religious stories and imagery around me,” said Nile. “So I could see it making into my writing, but it’s not something I do consciously. I just write them down as they come. I think that I’m not common themes in these songs: love, loss, passion, ecstasy, joy, war, peace, sorrow, hope, the journey.” The idea of a journey is very apparent on If I Was A River. The record begins and ends with two songs about rivers, which serve as bookends. It opens with the idea of imagining the possibilities and ends with the realization of what is possible. It’s all about the journey, One constant throughout all of his records is an honest spirituality that many artists are hesitant to show in their work. particularly religious, but I’m very spiritual. There’s a lot of mystery to this life and a lot of wonder in my heart and my soul. I appreciate life for the beauty around us. I just write the songs down and I don’t try to edit. No doubt there’s a lot of me in these tunes, but there’s also some characters in there as well. It’s not a concept album by any means, but there are some which is what word comes to mind for Nile when he thinks of a river. “I see our lives, the human race and our individual lives, as a journey,” he explained. “The river flowing from one direction to another. I thought bookending the record might be a nice way to go and I’m very happy with how it worked out.” Fans of The Waterboys might Advertise here for $25 - $100 call 732-280-7625 pg 11