Returning from a fishing trip to Jackson, Wyoming, Nat Frederick was glad to be home. Looking out his window, he was flooded with inspiration for the recording project that would resonate with music fans everywhere.

 

“I saw the chickens coming up before roosting, pecking around in the grass, the gardens right behind them and that gave me the opening line, talking about the sights, sounds and smells of West Virginia,” he said.

 

Titled “Home to Me,” the up-tempo, feel good tune is the title track of Frederick’s EP – which on the day following its release - climbed to No. 7 on iTunes’ country charts; right up there with Chris Stapleton, Brett Young, Old Dominion and other iconic artists. The EP also made an appearance in the top 100 albums of all genres. Landing at No. 96, the hometown artist’s project was ranked just below No. 95 Willie Nelson’s “Last Man Standing.”

 

Frederick, a 2007 graduate of Bridgeport High School, said he was certainly taken by surprise.

 

“I wasn’t expecting this,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t have any expectations. I got (the project) done and decided to go ahead and put the link on Facebook. I didn’t do any marketing or anything. And it took off like wildfire.”

 

Among those monitoring the EP’s progress was BHS graduate Zach McCord. A friend and fellow musician, he also played a key role in the project. It was at McCord’s Blueridge Studios – right on James Street in Bridgeport – where “Home to Me” was recorded.

 

“Zach is an absolute wizard,” Frederick said. "People spend a lot of time and money traveling to record."

 

Frederick said he couldn't have asked for a better recording experience or finished product. 

 

While letting Frederick use his creativity, McCord – having learned the ins and outs of the recording business – knew just how to create a quality project. In addition to the title track, the EP also includes “Over It,” “One for Two,” “Tough and “Lullaby,” all tunes written by Frederick.

 

Frederick and his whole family are deeply rooted in music. It has been a way of life for the Bridgeport native for as long as he can remember.

 

“My mom’s mom was a concert pianist and my dad and his brothers and sisters all played music and sang – old gospel songs and old country like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings,” he said. “We have videos of me two or three years old, holding a guitar sitting by my Uncle Jake.”

 

Frederick’s older sister (Katie Frederick Hanlon) is also a guitarist and pianist who has also provided much influence on his musical pursuit.

 

For the past decade, his music has been his profession as he performed upwards of 100 tour stops per year. Last year, it was closer to 150.

 

“I’ve played all up and down the east coast, as well as several dates out west,” he said. “I played in Montana, Idaho and just recently in the Florida Keys. I just go anywhere anyone wants to hear some good mountain music.”

 

An avid fisherman and outdoorsman, Frederick has a true passion for the mountains of West Virginia and their resources, including plenty of quality trout. In fact, for the past few years he has lived in Canaan Valley for about six months out of the year. The Tucker County area is not only a treasure trove of outdoor activity and wildlife, but also a collection of eclectic arts. His time there has included a couple of cool pursuits, which continue to expose Frederick’s musical talent.

 

“I got my own music hall there – the Nat Frederick Music Hall at Deerfield,” he said.

 

As the story goes, Frederick – a few years back - was at the restaurant at Deerfield Village lodging/rentals when, on a whim, he grabbed a guitar from his car and started playing.

 

“Before I knew it, there were 100 people – locals – who came in to listen. There was no sound system or anything. I was sitting on a bar stool,” he said. “I came back the next week and the next, before long, building a huge fan base.”

 

He thinks he knows what that happened that day - and anytime he plays live gigs, including impromptu ones.

 

“It’s an emotional connection which I would say is something in between vulnerability and not being vulnerable,” he said. “That’s a fine line. People have to come into their feelings, let them be processed, take them for what they’re worth and use it in any way.”

 

More recently, Frederick and friend Curtis Fleming, host of Fly Rod Chronicles, caught up to shoot a show featuring the raw beauty of the Mountain State and combine efforts with other FRC team members to pen the original tune, "Hooked Again," which Fleming said clearly captures the essence of the show and its mission.

 

Frederick said when he first became serious about his music as a career – about seven years ago - he made a trip to Nashville, writing material with writers including Rob Snyder, who has written for Luke Combs and the Davisson Brothers Band.

 

"But I couldn’t stay there. I came home, picked up a pen and some paper and started writing about everything," Frederick said.

 

The reason he couldn’t remain in Nashville is the same reason he writes, sings and communicates through his music.  

 

“I just couldn’t leave the mountains. I’ve been here my whole life,” he said. “I’m a family-oriented guy plus there’s not a whole lot of trout in Tennessee.”

 

After compiling his thoughts and experiences, Frederick penned some tunes that were quite special to him and thereafter reached out to McCord, who said he was on the bandwagon from the get-go.

 

“Nat’s music is everything you look for in a record: It’s catchy and well-thought, but it evokes the exact emotion he’s trying to communicate,” McCord said. “At the end of the day, music is really nothing more than communicating emotion through lyrics, melodies, rhythms, chords, etc. He does that incredibly well.”

 

 

Frederick plans to record another EP at Blueridge Studios. He already has some potential lyrics running through his head. For the time being, he will tour the region, promoting “Home to Me.”

 

“This is too much fun not to do it again,” he said. “I’ll tour with this one and have fun. ‘Home to Me’ will be on iTunes for two years and by the time it’s getting off, it will be time to record another project – or maybe even sooner.”

 

He will know when the time is right.

 

“Timing is everything,” said Frederick, adding that the stars aligned for his debut release.

 

Frederick’s parents Cindy and Gerald live in the area. His sister Katie, also his manager/photographer, lives in Canonsburg, Pa. with her husband Eric and children Charlie Rose and Howard, both who are the apples of their Uncle Nat’s eye.

 

As for one of iTunes’ newest artists, Frederick lives in a humble house in Anmoore, just behind his grandmother’s former home – where he has many great memories.

 

“We used to spend a lot of time here at my grandma’s. She had a chicken coop and a big garden,” he said. “I live right behind there in a little brown house. It’s small, but big enough. There’s plenty of room for my guitars.”

 

See Frederick live at the Social Tap near Bridgeport on May 24 and June 7. The artist also frequents Mia Margherita at Charles Pointe and Cody's at White Oaks, among other local venues. 

 

Sample and purchase Frederick's music HERE at iTunes.