purrbot is Portland, Oregon anti-folk musician Nathan Carter. Writing songs that are primarily concerned with documenting his own experiences honestly and openly, Carter also aims to act as a catalyst for political action concerning the queer community.
He released his first album,
by purrbot, in the fall of 2004. Focusing on his romantic relationships and hardships, the first album was self-produced—recorded at the home of engineer Blake Bickel, and hand-packaged by Carter. His sophomore album,
midwater—self-recorded, and released in the spring of 2005—maintained this DIY aesthetic. The release of the second album was followed by a two-week tour of the western US with Tony Presley (aka Real Live Tigers).
By the time he was ready to record his third album,
civil unrest, Carter had partnered with Firefly Sessions Recordings. Feeling the lyrical content of the album needed more clarity than previous home recordings, Carter chose Dave Van of Penguin Studios as his engineer, and began recording in the winter of 2005.
As with his earlier albums,
civil unrest documents Carter’s interpersonal relationships as candidly as possible, though explores much further the ways in which his environment impacts those relationships. Within the current political and cultural climate, it is important to explore the idea that personal relationships can encourage real political change. He asks the listener to examine what life would be like “if we could change the world / by holding hands in plain view.”
Carter also recognizes and speaks about his own fears and moments of inaction. He wonders “what will happen to the rest of us / who do not contest but keep hushed” and worries that perhaps “we cannot make a mark on this world anymore.” Going from these broader issues, Carter delves into the microcosm of his immediate friends and family. Seeking to connect and communicate with his father, he sings “i want to learn what i don’t know about him / and share what i have not shared / which is no short order.”
civil unrest not only covers the things that stand in the way of feeling safe—fear of anti-gay violence, fractured relationships, the loss of civil rights and freedom—but also recognizes the people and relationships that can create a safe harbor. Carter speaks of the importance of finding a community in which he can connect, saying “you are helping me lay down my arms / and welcome the previously unwelcome…we are shapeshifters / and partners in crime.”
On
civil unrest, purrbot explores themes and issues that reach beyond the queer community, and can affect all who are concerned with social equity and finding a safe place for personal identity and expression.
civil unrest was released on August 22, 2006.
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