Navy Officer turned Singer/Songwriter SweetNur releases song for daughter “Josephine” –

With Father’s Day coming up, what better way to celebrate being a dad than through music?

Memphis-based Navy Veteran and roots rock artist Chris Nurthen – who goes by the name SweetNur – is set to release his new track “Josephine” on Father’s Day this Sunday, June 19th. He gave Vents an exclusive first listen and interview about the new song.

Nurthen says, “I wrote “Josephine” in college during a calculus class – before I even knew my wife existed let alone I’d have the privilege of raising a daughter.” He later realizes that the song “was simply a prayer in song form and I have been blessed beyond all measure.”

Read below to learn more about the artist, SweetNur, as he talks not only about his music but also about the lessons he learned as a Naval Officer and a Varsity Football player as well as what lessons he plans to pass onto to his children.

And watch his new live performance video for “Josephine” below.

Hi, Chris, welcome to Vents! How are you doing?

Grinding and thriving all at the same time! Climbing lots of hills, but I like it that way.

Being a former Naval Officer and Varsity Football player for the Navy, what skills or life lessons do you feel you carried over into your current life as an entrepreneur and musician?

All of them. I cannot begin to list the abilities and lessons that came from being a Division 1 Student/Athlete and a Naval Officer. I think as a whole it has enabled me to make a professional approach to pursuing a dream — creating a strategy, putting a plan to paper, immersing yourself in the craft and remaining patient and composed during the training and development phases. Knowing your role and place, identifying key players and gradually building a team, then managing and leading that team. I know what “hard” feels like now and I can recognize the lessons in the growing pains, so I am not as easily discouraged when I hit bumps in the road as I would have been in my younger days. A shipmate once told me you’re either winning, or you’re learning. And it’s true. I could go on for days on this subject, but I’ll stop for the reader’s sake!

Congratulations on your success so far as a musician, particularly being selected as a Top 10 Finalist in the NSAI Songwriting Contest earlier this year. What do you feel sets you apart the most as a singer and songwriter?

Thanks!  I aim to make a positive spin on the beautiful struggle we call “life”. I am generally a very positive and optimistic person, and while most of my songwriting follows suit,  I tend to add a touch of realism and lean into the beauty and joy found in the struggles our  real-world lives encounter.  Having  a taste of adulthood, and the likes of marriage and parenthood I’ve been granted emotional experiences that you just don’t know until you know. Those experiences have been the focal point of the catalog I am releasing this year and I hope my songs help listeners “embrace the suck” they may encounter in their lives. If they can get to the other side of those trials, they’ll find joy.

You’re releasing a new song dedicated to your daughter, Josephine, this Sunday, Father’s Day. I read that you wrote this song years before she was born. What is your typical songwriting process like? Do you first start with the lyrics then write the melody or vice versa?

I find myself to be very observational- and I tend to write about whats happening in my own life in real-time. Usually I learn a wise lesson through some experience, and it naturally arrives in my head as a lyrical phrase, accompanied by a melody. I sanity check it, and then go from there. I wrote “Josephine” in college during a calculus class – before I even knew my wife existed let alone I’d have the privilege of raising a daughter. The thought of being a dad had always excited me and I must have been daydreaming about it that day. In came that sweet melody singing “Josephine” and it never left my head. In hindsight, “Josephine” was simply a prayer in song form and I have been blessed beyond all measure.

Blending your music with your other role as entrepreneur, running a mobile catering business with your wife, how challenging (or rewarding) has it been to balance both?

I would say the challenge and reward have been directly correlated. It sounds sweet to say we are building something together because it is, but that sweetness comes from the fruit of our struggling  together. Sure, we hope and pray for success but as long as we’re standing together in the end, regardless of the outcome, I would deem it victory. Winning or learning 😉

Finally, as a dad, would you encourage your children to be musicians (if they expressed interest) based on what you’ve experienced so far in the music industry?

Absolutely – pursuing music in any regard is so healthy for your spirit. I would support it tenfold. My goal as a father is to discipline our children to build within their heart and mind a firm foundation rooted in Christ. A foundation strong enough to weather any storm. If we can accomplish that – the music industry will be of no concern.

Where can potential fans find you and your music?

I am on all listening platforms under the artist “SweetNur”, you can find me on socials @sweetnurmusic, and everything SweetNur at www.sweetnurmusic.com

For more info:  https://sweetnurmusic.com/