Due to recurring bouts of pneumonia in his childhood, his family relocated to a farmhouse in Glendale, Arizona, seeking a better climate for his health. Nate attended Deer Valley High School, where he became involved in school bands and decided to pursue a career in music. Although he was not formally trained in music as a child, he later began taking music lessons. To support himself financially during this time, he worked with a law firm.

Formation and Journey with The Format

In 2002, at the age of 20, Nate co-founded the band The Format with his friend Sam Means. Their unique sound quickly gained attention in the music world. The band initially self-released an EP, which led to a deal with Elektra Records. In 2003, they released their debut album, Interventions + Lullabies, which received commercial success and critical acclaim.

The Format later signed with Atlantic Records and released the EP Snails in 2005. However, during the production of their second album for Atlantic, the label dropped them. As a result, the duo founded their own label, Vanity Records, and independently released their second album, Dog Problems, in 2006. Despite critical praise, The Format officially disbanded in 2008.

Rise to Fame with Fun.

Following the breakup of The Format, Nate established a new band called Fun. alongside Jack Antonoff of Steel Train and Andrew Dost of Anathallo. Fun. debuted with the single “Benson Hedges,” followed by their first album, Aim and Ignite, released in 2009.

The band's second album, Some Nights, launched in 2012, brought them mainstream success, largely fueled by the hit single "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monáe. The track topped charts and earned the group a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. The album also included the titular track "Some Nights," which further established the band’s genre-blending style. Fun. unofficially went on hiatus in 2014 following their performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.