Meet Nate Hertweck | Artist, Songwriter, Guitarist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nate Hertweck and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The best way to understand someone’s art is to experience it! Come see me play with one of my bands or a solo acoustic show. You’ll see a passionate and wildly imperfect craftsman who indulges in the process. I’ve been writing songs my whole life, and it’s never easy to keep my artistic side fully nurtured in the throes of work full-time, family, and life. But I overcome those challenges by letting songs be my salve, music my meditation. The lesson I’ve learned is you get out of it what you put in. Not many things in life work that way always, but putting your heart and time into music always delivers joy.

You should also know about my recordings. My post-metal band Dawn Fades just released our third album ‘III’ on October 24, which was featured in Decibel Magazine, and we had a killer release part at Knucklehead in Hollywood on Nov. 6. Dawn Fades made a horror-themed music video for the single called “Drugs.” Director Danial J. Smith and producer Kendra Ruczak created something spooky and special, and the band had a lot of fun making it—check it out if you dig horror! It’s even earned some film festival acclaim in L.A., Mexico City, and Santiago, Chile. Dawn Fades plays Coyote Studios for a benefit concert on Jan. 10 and at Transplants Brewing Feb 6.

I also put out a solo EP with 6 new original songs of cyber garagenoir produced/mixed by David Bowick called ‘Charmburner’ on November 21. I’m working on an acoustic EP and a duets EP with my wife, too—and my long-time rock west side rock outfit Dinosaur Tooth recorded at 4th Street Recording in Santa Monica this year for our third album of originals due out in 2026, so there’s lots to listen to online (check out my projects on Bandcamp!). Dinosaur Tooth will be at Cinema Bar in Culver City on Jan 29!

Keeping these projects going as long as we have (Dinosaur Tooth since 2012, Dawn Fades since 2017) has been a real challenge at times, but the longevity feels good. Many of my favorite albums are by bands deep into their catalog, so just staying together and keeping going can build dynamism and depth.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Check this out: I just moved to Redlands, CA! It’s about 70 miles east of the heart of L.A., but the music scene here is incredible. There’s a Monday night meet-up jam session at the Vault that is just outstanding. There’s also great live music every night of the week here in Redlands: Three Stags, the Vault, the District, the various breweries. The restaurants are great, too (The Overland, Aroi Mak Mak), it’s very green here, and the mountain views make me feel like I’m back home in New Mexico. Honestly, Redlands is L.A.’s best-kept secret!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
People matter most. Shoutout to Andrew Sandoval, who is the talented and charismatic ringleader of the Inland Empire music scene. He brings together so many talented and kind musicians, especially on Monday night at the Vault in Redlands. Also, shoutout to Kathleen Wirt and Sejo Navas at 4th St. Recording for being lifelong friends and supporting so many LA musicians over the years. Finally, shoutout to David Bowick for producing and mixing my new EP, Charmburner. Check out his many music projects and hit him up to record!

Website: https://www.natehertweck.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natehertweck/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@natehertweck

Other: Dawn Fades “Drugs” (Music Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6pHo-uVjmE
Nate Hertweck “Celebrity” (Music Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVhJnWKJH9A
Dawn Fades on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dawnfadesband/
Dinosaur Tooth on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dinosaurtoothband/

Image Credits
Sara Rivas – @groovyrivas
@yoyoarnold