Nathaniel Bellows Releases New EP The Moat Featuring “True”

Folk singer-songwriter Nathaniel Bellows has released his new EP The Moat. A one-of-a-kind, six-song collection of raw authenticity that traverses emotional landscapes with intimacy and poetic storytelling, The Moat explores how the things we build to protect ourselves can also keep us apart.

Produced by Bellows and Michael Hammond, the EP moves between rollicking swings and jazz-inflected introspection, exploring themes of armor vs. vulnerability, hiding vs. exposure, and insularity vs. connection.

“In the wake of the pandemic’s worst years, I’ve been thinking about autonomy and self-preservation in contrast to vulnerability and connection,” shares Bellows. “These shifting, shadowed themes felt best explored in music, with its ability to register viscerally without being dictated by language.”

Featuring the New Single “True”

In tandem with the release, Bellows shares “True,” a textured, poignant ballad about reconciling the parts of ourselves that form our truth. The EP also includes:

• “That Too” — a grounded, acoustic meditation on love’s unpredictability.
• “Works for Me” — an introverts’ anthem turning solitude into strength.
• “Night in Day,” “Your Fault,” and “Proof” — songs exploring agency, healing, and self-worth.

Critical Acclaim and Artistry

Celebrated for his stark yet emotive storytelling, Bellows has earned praise from NPR, The New York Times, Pitchfork, Paste, and American Songwriter for albums Three, Swan and Wolf, and The Old Illusions.

He wrote lyrics for composer Sarah Kirkland Snider’s orchestral cycle Unremembered and the libretto for Mass for the Endangered. His work has drawn comparisons to Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Bruce Springsteen for its blend of grit, grace, and emotional depth.

Tracklist — The Moat

1. That Too
2. True
3. Night in Day
4. Works for Me
5. Your Fault
6. Proof

More on Nathaniel Bellows

An accomplished musician, poet, novelist, and visual artist, Bellows’ poetry has appeared in The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review, American Poetry Review, The Paris Review, and more. His collection Why Speak? (W.W. Norton) was called “gripping” by The New York Times Book Review and “a smart and powerful debut” by Library Journal.

He is also the author of On This Day (HarperCollins) — hailed as “A triumph” by The Los Angeles Times — and Nan: A Novel in Stories (Harmon Blunt Publishers). His short fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, Narrative, Guernica, Redivider, and The Best American Short Stories (selected by Michael Chabon).