Michael Nau

Michael Nau is a prolific American songwriter whose career spans several influential indie projects, most notably Page France and Cotton Jones. His solo work, beginning in earnest with 2016's 'Mowing', represents a refinement of his 'psych-folk' aesthetic.

Nau's sound is deeply rooted in the 1960s and 70s singer-songwriter tradition, yet it avoids being purely derivative through its use of modern lo-fi production techniques and a restless, prolific approach to songcraft. His music is often categorized by its 'sun-drenched' or 'hazy' quality, a result of his preference for tape saturation and organic, hand-played instrumentation. Critically, he is respected for his melodic intuition and his ability to maintain a consistent mood across a vast discography. He occupies a unique space in the Americana scene, leaning more toward the dream-pop and chamber-folk end of the spectrum than traditional country or roots music. His influence is felt in the 'slacker-folk' movement, connecting the dots between the classicism of Harry Nilsson and the modern indie sensibilities of artists like Kevin Morby or Fruit Bats.