Cape Fear Rising
Pictured left to right: Nate Lorenz, Landon McClellan, and Marc Siegel
The Beginning
Lead vocalist Nate didn’t start out planning to front a band. A carpenter by trade, Nate returned to school at CFCC to study carpentry and later enrolled in music courses, where he crossed paths with guitarist and instructor Marc.
Nate was making music at home, writing lyrics, and singing melodies, but he needed someone to help bring it to life.
“I didn’t know anything about production, so I started looking for someone I could trust. That’s how I found Landon,” Nate recalled.
Landon, a CFCC graduate, and pianist with a deep understanding of musical composition, worked at a local studio when Nate walked in.
“Most people showed up with nothing. Nate had everything but the arrangement,” Landon said. “It was refreshing. I could just be a vehicle for his creativity.”
Their first session produced a song called “Long Day Working.”
“It’s still one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” Nate shared.
A Band is Born
Over the next couple of years, Nate and Landon continued recording. Landon focused on composition while Nate honed his lyrics and melodies. Together, they built a small catalog of demo tracks.
Eventually, Nate shared the music with Marc.
“I’d be driving around listening, and I couldn’t stop smiling,” Marc said. “My wife and I would sit around the fire listening to it. It just made you feel good.”
On one occasion, during a work trip to New Jersey, Nate sent Marc a few of their tracks.
“He hit me back with, ‘What are you doing with all this?'” Nate recalled.
Later that night, Marc called. “When you get back to Wilmington, let’s start a band. I will have people ready to play your music,” he told Nate.
Nate agreed, but he had one condition. His producer, Landon, had to be part of it.
And with that, Cape Fear Rising was born.
Naming the Band
The name Cape Fear Rising represents the band’s origin and a shared connection to where it all began.
“Every member at the time was either a current student or alumni of Cape Fear Community College,” Landon said. “It just made sense.”
Evolving the Sound
Artwork by Keefe Flor D’Auvray
Initially, reggae wasn’t Landon’s genre.
“Some of the reggae songs Marc brought in were just two chords for the entire track,” he said.
“If you listen to my personal playlist, it’s like Lamb of God and Amon Amarth,’’ Landon laughed. “But I put together a reggae playlist out of discipline, and eventually, it grew on me.”
Marc, a lifelong musician with a master’s degree in guitar and decades of gig experience, saw the power in simplicity.
“I’ve played all kinds of music, and a lot of it can get complex but doesn’t always resonate. When I watched The Elovaters in concert, I saw that it doesn’t have to be complicated. These guys were just into it, and that energy was contagious. That’s how we approach our shows.”
“It doesn’t matter if it is just two chords. We focus on creating a full experience and connecting with the audience.”
That connection has become the band’s primary focus.
“If you’re playing complicated music, you get caught up in your head,” Landon said. “With this band, it’s all about presence. Reggae especially emphasizes rhythm and negative space. It seemed unnatural initially, but we have the groove of it now.”
Breaking Through
The band, which includes bassist Brandon Henry and drummer Frank Caccuitto, plays a mix of original songs and covers. One of their most memorable shows was at CFCC’s Wilson Center.
“It was one of our first shows. It felt surreal,” Nate said. “It was cool to come full circle.”
Marc agreed. “The college has been super supportive. And it was a great opportunity to get the band on stage in front of an audience.”
Cape Fear Rising has since become a staple in the local music scene, but their ambitions reach beyond Wilmington.
“Our goal is to be self-sustaining,” said Landon. “We want to grow the crowd, get people to show up, pay to see us, and invest in the music. That’s what keeps it going.”
Breathe Music
Marc continues to share his passion with students every semester and gives this advice.
“Music isn’t something you do because you can; you do it because you can’t do anything else. I go to bed thinking about it and wake up thinking about it. Sometimes, I get up at three in the morning and play for two hours.”
Landon echoed that sentiment. “I have a tattoo that says ‘Breathe Music.’ That’s how I feel. If you can’t take a breath without it, do it.”
You can listen to Cape Fear Rising on Spotify , YouTube Music , Apple Music , and other platforms.
