Nathan Larson cut his teeth in the hardcore punk scene in Washington D.C., where he played in seminal bands, such as Swiz. Larson relocated to New York City in 1988, and in the '90s he was the lead guitarist for the influential prog-punk outfit Shudder To Think. Larson is a producer, performer, and writer of music and prose, but his primary focus has been composing film scores. His first project as a solo composer was the film Boys Don't Cry, although as a band Shudder To Think scored the film High Art, and contributed songs to Todd Haynes' Velvet Goldmine prior to this.
In 2000, Larson recorded a solo record in London with producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Madness, Elvis Costello).
Musical projects of late includes A Camp, which is a collaborative project with his wife Nina Persson. As a producer he recently wrapped on the sophomore solo outing from James Iha, and The Citizen's Band.
In 2005, Commotion Records released an CD overview of Larson's work entitled Filmmusik.
Larson is also a published author. His first novel, entitled The Dewey Decimal System, was released May 2011 on Akashic Books. The second book in the series, entitled The Nervous System, was released Summer of 2012.
Larson lives in Harlem, New York City with his wife and son Nils Oskar. The family also maintains a home in Persson's native Sweden.