New Southern Indiana trio Castlewood is a group of childhood friends who haven't lost their bond over playing music together. A collaboration between Nate Stemle (vocals/guitar) and twin brothers Josh Courtney (bass/producing) and Tyler Courtney (guitar/piano), the group has garage roots that have blossomed into an indie/electronic landscape. I spoke with lead singer Nate Stemle about the band's origins, and their new holiday tune "Christmas Break".
How did Castlewood come together?
We went to the same grade school (O.L.P.H in New Albany) and used to play music together on Castlewood Drive when we were kids. Josh and Tyler are the two with the most band experience - they've been in a band called Before The Streetlights for a while and have done a lot in the music scene while I have just played on my own. It only took ten years and a global pandemic for us to get back together. I called Tyler and told him I had a song (Ink Us In) and was looking to collaborate with him on it and from that very first session together we hit it off. We got Josh involved as the producer and never looked back.
Explain your creative/collaborative process:
With Tyler being the main lyricist of his band and me being an English teacher, we have a pretty deep well of words and ideas. Sometimes it's me bringing over something I wrote and he helps finish it. Sometimes we show up with nothing and come up with something brand new by the end of the night. Those are our favorites - the ones that seem to write themselves. We love trying to find that pocket and stay in it for as long as possible. When we feel like we have something good, we record a rough demo and then get it to Josh so he can work his magic. From there, I'd say our process feels like a musical tug-of-war between an acoustic singer songwriter and an electronic producer. Ultimately, we just love having the opportunities to spend time together and be creative. That's what it's all about for us.
"Christmas Break" could fit into the sub-genre of somber Christmas music. What inspired you to create that song?
I wrote the lyrics around the end of my first semester of college. It was my first time being away from home for that long of a time and the fresh feeling of freedom in college was really wearing off. While I enjoyed being away, I realized how much I had taken some people and places for granted. When I showed it to Josh and Tyler this year they were stoked to record it and get it out. We were ready to put out an intimate acoustic track and this one felt good.
Check out Castlewood's "Christmas Break" here!
