A lament through gritted teeth. A joyous whoop and holler. A Saturday night. A Sunday morning. Blues to country to punk rock and beyond: Nathan Mongol Wells is a musician.

 

First forming a band at 14, Nathan Mongol Wells has been onstage for a long time. A love for travel and the hidden stories that lie behind the mundane has informed his life as much as it has his songs, leading to an early love for art, a degree in architecture, and an eye for detail. Thus, his assumed middle name serves as a reminder, a challenge, and a promise -  seek adventure and the unknown, and document what is there. Born in Texas but raised all over - putting in time from Oregon to Istanbul and everywhere in between - he writes songs about the things he sees and feels and thinks. What comes out is often a combination between his own experiences and those of characters, both real and imagined. Fact and fiction meld. Humor winds its way into sadness and vice versa, much like life, leading to memorable melodies and lines that stick with you long after the song ends. Hoping to twist tradition and wring it till something new comes out, the Mongol brand of music can't quite be pinned down.

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Since its founding in 2010, he's been leading Dallas four-piece Ottoman Turks out of the garage and onto increasingly big stages across Texas. After nearly calling it quits, the band teamed up with producer John Pedigo (Old 97's, Vandoliers) and Dallas label State Fair Records to record their debut record. The self-titled effort was released in 2019 to the acclaim of publications like American Songwriter and Rolling Stone, who called the band an Artist You Need to Know. Already preparing for its follow-up, Ottoman Turks has toured across Texas and beyond, introducing their outlaw country garage sound to audiences everywhere.

 

A mutual love for the music of Appalachia led Mongol Wells and OT lead guitarist Joshua Ray Walker, himself a respected solo artist, to found Devil's Sooty Brother. Both groups have seen their share of success over the years, opening for excellent touring acts and headlining a number of reputable venues around the country.

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As a solo artist, Nathan Mongol Wells released an enthralling home-recorded album in December 2015,  entitled  Lord's Work. In March of 2018 he began releasing the Matchstick Singles, an experiment in modern music distribution. A single song, released on Thursdays and available for one week only, replaced the following week by a new track - a new album cover - a new story. Each song represents a collaboration with a different illustrator and musician, an attempt to reach new heights of creativity and creation. 

 

Hundreds of shows have been played. Strings have been broken. Throats shouted sore. But there's much more and greater on the horizon, so be sure to join the ever-growing list of Mongol Wells fans. It won't be long now.