"It's very strange but my background in music came from the North and being isolated and not having top 40 to listen to and only one TV station in the 1970s," says Nash from his home in Calgary.

"There's a wide variety of people who live in the North, the background of people is so varied so you grab a little bit from everywhere."

He says that many of his songs were written while living in the NWT or are about his life here.

"We didn't have a car to drive around in Frobisher Bay so I don't sing about cars," jokes Nash.

He spent his elementary school years attending school in what used to be called Frobisher Bay -- now Iqaluit -- and moved to Pine Point where he graduated from high school.

Nash's music has been described as Mediterranean which he says means it doesn't really fit into any of the usual musical slots.

He is currently trying to get radio stations north of the 60th parallel to carry his music.

"There are four stations now in the North I'm trying to get to play my music and I'm telling you, that's changed," says Nash, 36, who grew up listening solely to CBC Radio.

Nash hasn't been to the NWT since he was on tour here about seven years ago but he hopes to come this summer to play at Folk on the Rocks and the Great Northern Arts Festival.