The band Phatfish – named after a purple fat fish key ring – has been making music for 15 years.
To celebrate their anniversary, 15 – The Fifteen Year Anniversary Collection is now available. Featuring tracks reflecting the diversity of sound and line-up, the album charts a timeline of their distinctive style.
Nathan Fellingham, together with his wife Louise and brother Luke, are founding members. Nathan tells Challenge readers about music, faith and family on the road.
What were your early influences?
‘My mum and dad are both Christians and their parents were too, so there’s definitely a sense of Christian heritage going back over the years. ‘My dad is one of the elders (and worship leader) at our local church in Brighton. I grew up with a sense of the reality of God in the home and in my own life at a fairly early age. ‘My mum and dad tried to teach me about what is right and what is wrong’. Nathan’s faith naturally grew as did his musical experience. ‘For me music has always been the thing that ignited the biggest spark.’ Though he did well at school, ‘music was the thing I was designed and meant to do in terms of a career.’ Nathan got his first drum kit at 12; at 14 he was playing in his dad’s backing group. Surrounded by experienced musicians, Nathan’s skills grew. On leaving school at 16, he joined the newly formed Phatfish. Over the years the line-up may have changed but the band plays on. The anniversary album 15 reflects how their sound has changed – Jazz Funk replaced with their Rock/Pop style of today.
How does this all work with family life?
‘Brighton is very much home. We love the church here, what it stands for and what it’s going for. Lou and I have two children. When our first son was born we took him around with us. Now he’s started school we’ve had to look more closely at our schedule. The bringing up of our kids is more important than the music we play.’
So what does Easter mean to you?
‘The events that we celebrate at Easter are so crucial to the life of the Christian. What Jesus accomplished on the cross through his death and resurrection really is the centrepiece of what our faith hangs upon. The Apostle Paul wrote in one of his books that if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead that we as Christians should be pitied above all people. But we believe with absolute certainty that he has! And on that we rest our hope!’
Ultimately, Nathan wants to do what’s right with God. So what’s next?
‘You have to keep coming back to “is this something God is in?” and if he’s not, I don’t want to do it.’
See www.phatfish.net to sample plus links to YouTube.
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