Singer Nathanson finally reaches "Higher" ground

By Jill Menze

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A year after the release of his new album, singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson is seeing a fresh round of old-fashioned attention turn toward the project.

Unlike the instant success some of his contemporaries have seen via licensing deals for commercials and TV shows, Nathanson has enjoyed a steady growth in the past year in everything from album sales to radio airplay to touring.

His album, "Some Mad Hope," which bowed at No. 60 on the Billboard 200, has now sold 79,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It marks his sixth studio album, but first for Vanguard Records.

The single "Come On Get Higher" currently sits at No. 19 on Adult Top 40, with more than 10,000 downloads the week of August 18, up from 2,500 in March.

"It's very healthy and very organic and real," Vanguard director of marketing/A&R development Stephen Brower says of the album's growth. "It's not like we saw 'Wow, we had a 4,000% increase because of a commercial' and then went away. It's been a very steady increase . . . week after week after week."

Nathanson, 35, a seasoned 12-string guitar player whose sound falls in line with the likes of Jason Mraz and Jack Johnson, feels "Hope" is his first release that's fully realized both musically and in its reception.

His last outing, "Beneath These Fireworks," was released by Universal in 2003. The set has moved 74,000 units, but he says the relationship was like "dating the wrong person" and soon after cut ties with the label.

The next three years found Nathanson, along with producer Marshall Altman and producer/co-writer Mark Weinberg, touring and recording the new album before placing it in the hands of Vanguard.

Tie-ins with radio along with touring outreach have been particularly effective in targeting a wider demographic. In addition to opening for Lifehouse this spring, Nathanson is on his second headlining run of the year, which this time around finds him at larger venues. Ourstage.com has partnered with the tour for a contest to win an opening slot alongside Nathanson in some markets.

Recently, "Come On Get Higher" caught the attention of chart-topping country duo Sugarland, which recorded a cover of the song for "Love on the Inside -- Deluxe Fan Edition."

Reuters/Billboard