On Saturday, April 18, Nathan Graham brings his sound to the Strictly Chicago Series at Athenaeum Center, continuing the 2026 lineup with an artist whose work reflects the depth and lived experience of this city’s musical tradition. Raised in Chicago and shaped by years performing in its blues clubs and touring circuits, Graham has built a sound that bridges South Side blues, soul, rock, and Americana, earning a reputation for songwriting that is both grounded and emotionally direct. This Nathan Graham Strictly Chicago performance highlights an artist continuing to evolve within the city that shaped him.
His debut record Saint of Second Chances first brought that range into focus, a sound he continued to develop in his 2024 EP The Way Through. Across this work, Graham explores anxiety, love, and the fear of losing both, pairing expressive guitar work with a vocal delivery that carries equal parts weight and warmth. The songs move fluidly between restraint and intensity, drawing from a lineage that includes classic soul and blues while pushing toward something distinctly his own.
We caught up with Graham ahead of his Strictly Chicago show here at Athenaeum. Throughout our conversation, Graham reflects on bringing together his musical influences into a voice that feels personal, the lessons learned from years as a guitarist for hire, and how his understanding of success has shifted toward connection and community. He also speaks about opening his songwriting process to collaboration, working with producer Brian Deck on new material, and what it means to share songs, finished or not, in a live setting. It’s a conversation about growth, trust, and the evolving nature of artistic identity.
Nathan Graham: Strictly Chicago Series
4/18/26 | Doors: 7:00 PM | Show: 8:00 PM
Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture, Paradiso
2936 N Southport Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657 · Free Parking
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ACTC: Your sound draws from soul, rock, and Americana. How did you bring those influences together into your own voice?
Nathan Graham: It has been difficult. At times those genres can be very limiting since people have such strong ties to them. I really work at bringing my other influences into those so it feels like my voice.
ACTC: Earlier on, you were backing blues artists and working as a guitarist for hire. What did you take from that experience into what you’re doing now?
NG: No one part is more important than any other. I know it may be cliché, but “one band, one sound.” I also learned to really tune into every person on stage, watch for cues, and be able to give cues clearly.
ACTC: You’ve talked about how your ideas around success, inspiration, and collaboration have changed. How has that shifted the way you write or record?
NG: I think to some extent we all have very grandiose goals when we start out. Maybe it is to get a Grammy or make millions of dollars, which would be very nice. I would love that. But I have found that my metric for success is connecting with people and having a solid fan base, however many that may be. We have not played in an empty room in some years now, and that is an absolute gift.
On inspiration and collaboration, most of the songs I had written were done pretty isolated. I think that was more fear of asking than an “I write all my own songs” ego. Earlier this year I did a songwriters cruise and had to write with people I had just met, and it really opened me up to working with other songwriters and not being afraid to let someone hear my lyrics before I felt they were finished. Before that, I really only worked with my band on songs. They were the only ones to hear my unfinished madness.
ACTC: What has your path in the music industry looked like, and how did it shape where you are now?
NG: If I drew a map of my musical journey, it would look like a Hot Wheels track with a couple pieces missing. I have led bands, been a sideman, I have been on really expensive tour buses, and I have been in vans that needed tape on the windshield.
It has taught me to be really grateful and embrace all types of experiences. It has also taught me that no matter your status in the music industry, we all have very similar experiences. It is very comforting to know that your heroes have the same experiences you do.
ACTC: You’ve toured quite a bit. How does Chicago compare to other cities? Are there any that stand out?
NG: I am biased, so nowhere compares to Chicago. But in no particular order, Appleton, WI, Minneapolis, MN, and Austin, TX are very close. Really amazing communities there, and they definitely nurture music and art.
ACTC: Are there any newer artists or sounds you’ve been drawn to lately?
NG: I have been drawn to instrumental music lately. Hermanos Gutiérrez comes to mind, and Khruangbin. It is a bit of a surf thing. I also love Olivia Dean. She is jazzy in a very interesting way.
ACTC: What are you working on right now, or what feels like the next step?
NG: We are working on a new album, but we are really working one song at a time, giving each song our full attention as opposed to going full album mode. Brian Deck is working on that with us. He has worked with Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse, and a host of great bands. We spoke at length about treating each song like an album. Next step is pre-production and getting basic ideas down.
ACTC: When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope they take with them?
NG: That is a tough question. Once someone hears an artist, they connect with the music differently than the artist themselves or even the person they are there with. First, I would hope they did not hate it.
Then I hope they saw themselves in a song. I try to write what I feel people will relate to, and hopefully they do. Those are the artists I like.
ACTC: What kind of night are you putting together for this performance at Athenaeum Center? Who are you playing with, and what can you share about it?
NG: We are working on some new songs, and we may play some for this one. I get so nervous about playing new songs, but at times new songs will give you something special when you play them live with little fussing over them.
We like being honest with performances. We have the original lineup on this one, two guitars, bass, and drums, and we all sing. We are a pretty standard rock and roll outfit.
ACTC: Who would you want to see in a future Strictly Chicago set?
NG: I would love to see Michael Damani there, Elizabeth Moen, Andrew Sa, Nashon Holloway. There are so many. I love that we have a series for Chicago.
About the Strictly Chicago Series at Athenaeum Center featuring Nathan Graham
Strictly Chicago is Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture’s ongoing concert series celebrating the depth, diversity, and creative vitality of Chicago’s music community. Through intimate live performances, the series spotlights homegrown artists whose work reflects the cultural roots, personal histories, and evolving sounds that shape this city. Each concert invites audiences to experience music not only as entertainment, but as a living expression of place, belonging, and artistic legacy.
The 2026 season continues with Nathan Graham on April 18, following performances by Half Gringa, La Rosa Noir, and Sun Queen, and concluding with Alyssa Allgood on May 15. Spanning indie, alternative, folk, soul, jazz, and beyond, Strictly Chicago reflects the breadth of voices making vital work across Chicagoland today.
By centering local artists on its stages, Athenaeum Center affirms its mission to support thoughtful cultural exchange through live performance. Strictly Chicago creates space for musicians to develop work over time, for audiences to engage deeply with artists from their own communities, and for the city’s musical heritage to be reimagined, one performance, one room, and one shared experience at a time.
