Shiny Shiny Black Rehearsals in Home - 2026 - Amber and Nate Butler, Issac Fisher, Arthur Schroeder. - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

There are some people who choose simply to just dream, while others choose to put their dreams into reality. Shiny Shiny Black is made up of the later form of dreamers, the kind where their creativity is sparked by the unknown.

Nate and Amber Butler, a husband and wife duo, has choose to live their life with a true passion for the path of an artist. For the people on the outside looking in, they may call it crazy, though they are not wrong, they are also not right either. They have the right word but the wrong definition. In fact if you should tell one these fellow “crazy” dreamers that you yourself was about to embark on chasing the preverbal carrot before you, they will use the same word but more like this, “That is awesome! Congratulations on being crazy enough to do it!” Not seeing a difference? Well read the rest of this article and see how you feel afterwards.

“Art and beauty are just some of the things that we have in this life that make it worthwhile to live. Choosing a life that includes pursuing these things are always on my agenda.” Amber says.

Amber Butler Rehearsals At House- 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

Throughout becoming a musician and songwriter , Nate Butler has always kept the genesis of why he chose this life as the beacon to which he guides his career and music.

Nate Butler Rehearsals At House - 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

“I had a difficult childhood growing up.” Nate explains, “Music really helped me through my teen years to survive honestly. I wanted to pay that forward in some sort of way through my own music.”

Shiny Shiny Black was formed in 2012 and the name derived from that reflection of wanting to make a difference.

“Music gets to the heart of things very quickly. It has the ability to find the light in the darkness. I believe that it saved my life and if I can do that for one other person, it would be a big deal for me.” Nate states.

Rehearsals At The House - 2026 - Amber and Nate Butler, Arthur Schroeder - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

Rehearsals At The House - 2026 - Issac Fisher, Arthur Schroeder - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

When it comes to songwriting and the relationship between the artist and the art, both Nate and Amber know this well. As writers themselves they explain the importance of bringing originals to the audience and how they approach performing covers.

“We do lean into our originals because we value writing songs and showing up in a way that is authentic and in our own expression, but we also enjoy doing covers.” Amber states.

“The number one thing that I love is performing live. I really don’t care if we wrote it or if someone else did, as long as I can do and provide something for the audience, that is all that matters to me.” Nate explains.

“As we grow in craft or relate to the musicians that came before us, it is a really cool thing to be able to curate songs that we know are going to offer something, again, to our audience. For the Cole Porter Festival, we are able to honor his legacy and traditions. There is a connection there that makes it an experience.” Amber says.

Nate Butler performing live at the Cole Porter Festival - 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

With their electrified folk sound that stemmed from the cultural connection that Nate had with the bluegrass and the acoustic genre, he skillfully bridges his hard rock back ground into his style, creating their amazing ability to keep just outside the box of what is expected.

In preparation for the Cole Porter Festival, I spoke with them about the idea of deconstructing the elements of being an independent artist for the audience.

“There is a certain aspect to it that I love to suspend peoples disbelief. In the way that I want people to think that it just happened that way because then your (the audience) is ability to receive whatever the art has to give you instead of thinking about how its made. On the other hand, I would love for people, culturally, to understand how our culture has allowed our economy to get so messed up that almost everybody I know ,who makes music, is really struggling to keep making it right now. The cost is so high, financially, the risk we take in trying to do what do is something that is very rarely seen.” Nate states.

No matter what, the most important part of it all for Shiny Shiny Black is the audience.

“We want, in the end to meet people where ever they are at in their life and hopefully give a voice, or words to them. By the end of our shows we want them to feel uplifted.” Amber says.

There is no doubt that they see the worth through all the behind the scenes pressure and rather focus on what is important, keeping the heart of what music is about and giving it back to everyone they can.

Shiny Shiny Black performing at the Cole Porter Festival - 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

This was so easily displayed this year on the main stage of the Cole Porter Festival with their bass player Issac Fisher and Drummer, Arthur Schroeder, as they brought the ending of Friday night’s festivities to an end with a crescendo. While children danced in the glow of the lights, the community gathered to enjoy this completely authentic and extremely masterful performance. Showcasing the joy of performing live and mixing it with the heart of what music was always meant to create, connection.

Amber Butler performing live at the Cole Porter Festival - 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

Amber and Nate Butler, (Shiny Shiny Black), performing live at the Cole Porter Festival - 2026 - Photograph by Lorynn Hunt.

From Shiny Shiny Black,

"It’s wonderful being part of a pop up music village that embraces the center of downtown. We met many wonderful people and we’re so glad we could be part of bringing the concert right to their street.

It’s been cool to see the festival continue to grow year after year and keep on honoring the music of Cole Porter.”

To learn more about Shiny Shiny Black visit https://shinyshinyblack.com/about.

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