Hot off his UK tour with New Rules, South East London artist Nathan Smoker is a refreshing new vocalist to listen out for. With his poignant tone and distinguished British accent, it’s no surprise this emerging artist has already acquired multiple credits to his name, beginning his career as a performer on the West End at just 8 years old. Most recently, the writer/singer/producer appeared on The Voice UK, performing soulful covers and landing himself a place in the semi-finals. PopWrapped caught up with Nathan to talk about his time on the road, his upcoming releases and his new cover of Rag’n’Bone Man’s “Human.”

2021 seems to have been a massively successful year for you, with getting to the semi finals of The Voice UK and touring alongside New Rules, so congratulations! Let’s firstly talk about The Voice. You’re no stranger to the stage having performed as Oliver on the West End aged 8, but this must have been a whole new experience. What were your initial thoughts when you stepped onto the stage? 

I was just buzzing to be there to be honest. Lockdown meant I couldn’t perform properly for a long time so going on a stage that impressive was a great experience. Then you see the judges and it’s like: ‘Wow I’ve got to deliver here!’ I was a bit nervous but just tried to put that nervous energy into the song and kill it.  

Three out of the four judges turned around for you in the blind auditions which must’ve felt euphoric. Had you considered who you’d choose before going on the show and how did you find working with Olly Murs? 

Yeah, Olly was a great help to me and gave me some really good advice. He pushed me to sing songs that were outside my comfort zone and I’m very thankful for that as it showed off the range of my voice in a better light.  

Since competing on The Voice, you’ve toured alongside New Rules. How did you find that experience? 

Tour was brilliant. I’ve never performed out of London so going to all these great places was just a class experience. It was also so nice doing Shepherd’s Bush in my hometown as it’s one of my favourite venues. It was just a great experience all round. I hope everyone that came out had a great time! 

Your new release is a cover of Rag’n’Bone Man’s “Human” which displays your impressive range and soulful tone. What made you want to record a cover of this particular track? 

“Human” is my favourite song to sing, there’s so much passion behind it, and I love getting stuck into it. I feel like “Human” shows off what my voice can do well and hopefully people enjoy it! 

Your British accent is very distinct throughout all your performances and you cover a range of genres and styles. Is there a genre you especially love/that you can see yourself moving into, or is this something you’d like to explore throughout your career? 

As a new emerging artist, I am enjoying trying out different genres and seeing what works best for me, I’m definitely not trying to pigeonhole myself too early. I feel like my voice is quite recognisable and can work on a number of different styles.  

You’ve collaborated with the likes of Joe Garrett and Swedish DJ Digrasso. Who would be your dream collaboration in the future?

Now that’s a question. I would like to work with Maverick Sabre as he’s an artist I really look up to, but in terms of a producer I think Shy FX or Meduza would be unreal and we could make some bangers. 

Finally then, following on from your cover of “Human”, do you have any plans to record any new music in the coming year? 

Yes, I’ve just released my debut single “Swimming” which is now out on all platforms and I’ve got loads of releases planned for next year. Keep your eyes peeled!

Give Nathan’s cover of “Human” a listen below and you can keep up to date with him by following him on Instagram and TikTok.