Rock and Roll Hall of Famers (The Iowa Location) may or may not be a big deal to people outside The Hawkeye State but for fans of The Nadas – it means everything. The band has churned out a baker’s dozen of studio albums as a five-piece, logging thousands of miles performing for thousands of fans. To date, the band has moved more 250,000 albums via aptly titled label, Authentic Records. The band has honed in on the state’s rootsy vibe with an accessible take on Americana that bleeds Springsteen, The Jayhawks and Old 97’s.
Old friends and music industry veterans Mike Butterworth and Jason Walsmith founded The Nadas in the early 90s, bonding over a shared mixtape while students at Iowa State University. Initially playing the folk circuit as an acoustic duo, they added drums and bass as the band moved toward a grittier alt-rock sound. By the mid-2000s, their songwriting began to embrace more radio-friendly, pop-leaning territory, laced with anthemic choruses, compelling guitar riffs, and a refreshing sense of humor.
Making easily accessible sing-alongs and righteous harmonies that are made for playlists (or radio) is their calling, and The Nadas keep on going with more contagious hooks and jangly guitars. The band will be dropping their new, full-length album Come Along for the Ride out on 8/11/23 – ushering in more crafty cuts in The Nadas now signature style. Glide is premiering the new single “Other Side of the 45,” a breezy Tom Petty-ish cut that has all the makings of an anthemic single.
“Well, this one is presented as a literal message to the younger generations of musicians who are leaving the garage and hitting the road in a van to play shows and hoping that people will listen. There aren’t a lot of bands and musicians at our level that have made it through the trials and tribulations of this chosen profession and are still making music. I guess it is intended to give ourselves a pat on the back while passing the torch,” says Walsmith.
