Nathan Symes, leader and composer of Chapel Hill was born in North Carolina while while marches were being set up at the sound of « The Times They Are A’changin’ ». Dylan, but also Jacques Brel will mark his exiled childhood in France. Back to the States, he witnesses the irruption of Nirvana. A tidal wave. Turning his back on an engineer career and a perfect WASP destiny, Nathan doesn't wait to jump into the Boston indie scene. He will perform there among various grunge formations as frontman in Big Gladys, parodic rock band inspired by Ween.
Then, one more time, he crosses the Atlantic with all his Tom Waits favourites, his Anthology of American Folk Music (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings) and the début albums of Beck, Wilco and Morphine. Influences combined and dissected now in Chapel Hill, for which he gathers a violinist, a drummer and double-bass player.
The name of Chapel Hill comes from his native town, re-invented in some dark-newspapers-articles way. The lyrics too get more personal and political, inspired by an America he loves but from which he does feel estranged.
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