“I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there,” wrote Paul Simon in “The Boxer.” That’s the theme of “Without the Cold,” the third track on the Nathans & Ronstadt album “Hello World.” Melancholy isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it can be a feeling of peace.
That was the idea of Alan Jay Prescott, who contributed to a Nathans & Ronstadt Kickstarter campaign, with the reward of providing a concept for them to write a song around. In the end, Prescott was credited as a co-writer on “Without the Cold.” In this enlightening interview, we discuss the concept of melancholy, as well as the meaning of a life well lived.
Prescott lived in various towns throughout western New England until moving to New York City in 1974. He was self-employed in computer typesetting, graphic design, and stock photography until moving to California in the late ‘90s where he pursued occasional free-lance work and managed the spirits and wine department of a grocery store.
He moved to Pennsylvania in 2008 and worked as the manager of a wine tasting room, booking music and hosting special events until retirement in 2020.
Prescott has visited 25 countries, written 85 instrumental compositions, and started a novel that is unlikely ever to be published. He currently spends a great deal of enjoyable time writing for Wikipedia and shares his life with a woman of great tolerance for letting him be whatever version works best in the moment.