Thursday 6 November 2008

Interview : Natty


2008’s obviously been a successful year for you as an artist, getting signed to a major label. How did that come about? Wasn’t from it from a club night you were running?

Yeah, ‘Vibes and pressure.’ But not only from the club night but from all the gigs I was doing, I was doing loads and loads of gigs at the time and I found that I was the only artist there that people were really in to. Everyone else was all generic, and I just wanted to create a night where things were less generic. It was all off the live thing where it all happened.

It was Atlantic that got interested wasn’t it?

Yeah Atlantic, they showed a lot of interest, and they were the one’s that I was interested in. At one point there could be about 50 A and R guys there at one time.

What was that transition like? Surreal?

Yeah it was surreal. But you can’t look it as surreal; otherwise you’ll get caught up in the hype. The way I see it, some people like my music and they want to put it out there. Let’s move with it. If they want to’ give me some money, so I can by a house, then you know, that’ll be fine with me.

I read on your myspace page that you’re ‘living the dream.’ I had a friend that used to say if you found something you love, and you can do that for a living, then it’s not like work. Do you agree with that?


Yeah of course. I mean, if I was to take my shades off now, you’d see I have bags under my eyes. I’m real tired. But I’m loving it. The other night I was playing, and I didn’t have to sing cos’ the crowd all were. How you not gonna’ love that sh*t?

When it comes to writing lyrics, is it a case ‘I’ve got this tune, now I need some lyrics, what’s on my mind?’ Or do you approach it with an intended meaning to a song
?

Both, it just comes how it comes. Either a whole song or just little bits, there’s no rules to this shit. Anything goes. I could have an entire chord progression with no lyrics, or I could find lyrics I wrote three years ago and use them. It just happens.

The album sounds like a personal account and expression, is it a buzz to know that people can derive their own meaning from what your saying?

It‘s personal to the point where pretty much everybody goes through this shit. Its from my perspective but people can relate. I guess that‘s why I‘m doing well.

What’s the plan for 2009?

I’m going to America, then Europe. Germany, then this festival in Holland, and towards the end of the year, I want to look at recording a new album. I’ve already started writing it.

Any advice for our student readers who are close to entering the big bad world?

Yeah don’t listen to anyone. Listen to your heart. A lot of people go by what there friends are doing, or what their parents say. I’m not saying don’t listen to what they’ve got to say, you’ve jus got to make your own way, walk your own path.
Interview By Graham Turner

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